Gratin of Artichoke and Swiss Chard - lemon

Method

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
• Add the lemon juice and 2 tablespoons of salt.
• Snap off the stems of the artichokes and reserve.
• Trim the artichokes for all but their innermost leaves.
• Cut about 2 inches off the top of each artichoke and discard.
• Add the artichokes to the boiling water.
• Peel the tough outer skin off the stems and add the stems to the water.
• Place a small bread plate or other weight on top of the artichokes to keep them submerged.
• Lower the heat to a slow boil and cook until the artichokes' bottoms are just tender when pierced with the tip of a small knife through the bottom, about 15 minutes.
• Drain and let cool.
• Trim the rest of the leaves off the artichokes and scrape out the chokes (the fuzzy centers) with a spoon.
• Cut the bottoms into quarters and the stems into 1/4-inch rounds.
• Heat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Heat 2 tablespoons of the butter in a saute pan over medium-high heat.
• Add the onion and lower the heat to medium.
• Cook, stirring, until the onion is tender, about 7 minutes.
• Add the artichokes, season with salt and pepper, and continue to cook for an additional 3 to 4 minutes.
• Strip the leaves away from the stems of the Swiss chard.
• Cut the stems into 1/2-inch pieces and the leaves into 1-inch pieces, and keep the stems and leaves separate.
• Heat the remaining butter in another saute pan over medium-high heat.
• Add the chard stems and cook for about 5 minutes.
• Add the leaves and continue to cook until the stems and leaves are tender.
• Season with salt and pepper.
• Drain the chard and add it to the artichokes and onion and toss to combine.
• Put the artichokes, onion and chard into a 1 1/2-quart gratin dish.
• Drizzle the cream and sprinkle the Parmesan over the vegetables.
• Season with salt and pepper.
• Bake until the cheese is melted and the cream is bubbling, about 15 minutes.
• Raise the heat to 425 degrees F, sprinkle on the bread crumbs and bake again until bread crumbs are browned and the inside of the gratin is hot, another 7 to 10 minutes.
• Serve immediately.