Artichokes appear in the spring in Greece, and the small, tender baby variety works nicely in braised dishes like this one. Because they're so tender, it's not necessary to remove the fuzzy choke from the center of the heart. If fresh baby artichokes are unavailable, substitute frozen artichoke hearts, and skip the step of soaking them in lemon water.
This was a good dish. I made only one serving, so it might not apply when you make the whole dish, but 45 minutes was way too much time for letting the veggies cook. I think you only need 30 minutes max. I would have pulled it off at 25 since I like my veggies a little crunchy. At 40 minutes, the onions caramelized, which was a great flavor but it over powered the artichoke a bit. The dish would be great with a red meat since the onions give it a smoky flavor. I had it with lemon couscous and garlic shrimp, which just didn’t work well together with the length the veggies were cooked for. I expected a lighter fresher taste and got a heavy dish. Still good though.
