Grilled Artichokes with Provolone and Sun Dried Tomato Pesto Sauce

Ingredients

Juice of 1 lemon
3 large artichokes
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, divided
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup sun dried tomato pesto (I prefer Classico)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil (or 1 teaspoon dried basil leaves)
3 slices provolone cheese, cut into fourths
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

Fill a large saucepan with water; add lemon juice. Generously season water with salt; set aside. Using a sharp knife, slice off the top one-fourth of each artichoke. Trim thorns from remaining leaves with kitchen shears. Snap off the small, tough outer leaves closest to the stem, peel stem with a vegetable peeler and cut off the exposed end of the stem. Halve the artichokes lengthwise. With a small knife, cut out fuzzy choke and prickly leaves (the small ones with purple tips) located in the center of each half. If artichokes are large, cut halves into two pieces. Drop artichokes into saucepan, cover and bring to a boil. Once water reaches a boil, partially remove lid, reduce heat to simmer and cook artichokes for 8 minutes. Remove pan from heat, cover completely and let artichokes sit in hot liquid until tender (large leaves will give to a gentle tug and heart can be easily pierced with a fork), 10 additional minutes; drain and set aside. In a medium saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until tender, 3-5 minutes. Stir in sun dried tomato pesto; cook an additional 2 minutes. Remove pan from heat and stir in basil. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Prepare grill for direct cooking over medium-high heat. Brush artichokes with reserved tablespoon of olive oil. Place artichokes, cut side down on open grill. Cook until browned, about 4 minutes. Flip artichokes over and place 1 quarter slice of provolone cheese inside each cavity; grill an additional 4 minutes. Transfer artichokes to a serving platter, spoon even amounts of sun dried tomato pesto sauce on each and sprinkle top with Parmesan cheese. To eat, pull off the leaves one at a time and use each leaf to scoop up the sun dried tomato pesto sauce. Pull the bottom of the leaf through your teeth to scrape off the soft, pulpy meat along with some sauce; discard the remainder of the leaf. Some of the small, more tender leaves can be eaten whole. The center, or heart, of the artichoke is one of the most desirable parts and is completely edible. Makes 6-8 servings.