Every year the artichoke root system in our garden pops out an abundance of fresh artichokes. For the first few years this is really fun and rewarding, but after a while, one yearns for some new ideas and ways to gobble up all those artichokes, without adding a lot of prep time. This recipe for slow cooker artichokes is super easy, with just about 15 minutes or less of prep time. Then you just set the cooker, get on with your day, and return to a crock pot full of tender, moist artichokes loaded with flavor.

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roman slow cooker artichokes

4 artichokes, stems removed
1 tbsp. Balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp. olive oil
4 cloves garlic, sliced (slivered)
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
2 sprigs fresh oregano
Sea salt & fresh cracked pepper
1 1/2 cups tomato concasse, or 1 14.5-oz can diced tomatoes
Extra rosemary and sliced lemon for garnish
Your favorite dipping sauce (optional)

Trim the stems from the bottoms of the artichokes so that they can sit upright in the crock pot. Using a serrated knife, trim the tops of the artichokes down about 1/4-1/3. Spread open the leaves of the artichokes with your fingers. Insert pieces of the herbs and slivered garlic in between the leaves of the artichokes, evenly distributed. Place the 4 artichokes into the bottom of a crock pot. Drizzle Balsamic vinegar and olive oil over the artichokes, and then spoon the tomatoes, along with the juices over the artichokes and around the sides of the artichokes, covering the bottom of the crock pot with tomatoes and juice. Generously sprinkle the tops of the artichokes with the salt and pepper.

Cover and set the crock pot on high for 3 hours. After 3 hours, check for tenderness. The leaves should pull off the artichokes fairly easily. Keep the artichokes warm until ready to serve, or refrigerate and enjoy as a cold dish later. The artichokes shown here are served with homemade garlic aioli.