Cleaning the Artichoke

1. Separate out 2 teaspoons of lemon juice. Fill a large bowl with water and the rest of the lemon juice and set aside. 
2. Clean the artichokes down to the hearts with a paring knife. Trim off all the fibrous leaves and outer layer of the stem to expose the tender heart. The stem sometimes breaks off; that’s okay—you can still cook it alongside the hearts. Clean out the choke using a spoon or ice cream scoop, scraping off all the hairy bits.
3. Immediately place the cleaned artichokes into the bowl with lemon juice to keep them from turning dark as you work. Cover with a clean, wet kitchen towel to keep the artichokes submerged.

Placing the Vegetables

1. Place the diced onion, carrot, and minced garlic at the bottom of a wide pan. Mix and place the artichoke hearts and stems on top—hearts down.
2. Add the diced potato and peas, salt, sugar, separated lemon juice and olive oil. If using dill, add at this stage. Press down with a heat-resistant plate. Add water right up to the bottom of the plate and put the lid on.
3. Cook on high heat for 3 minutes, then on low heat for 1 hour and 30 minutes. Keep the lid on the entire time. 
4. Let cool and serve slightly warm or cold as an appetizer. Keeps well in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to five days. Goes very well with a glass of Sauv Blanc or other dry white wine!