Crispy Artichokes + Blackberry Pesto

I love artichokes. I love them almost as much as I love berries. Hoping to create a winning combination by uniting my favorite veggie with my favorite fruit (blackberries), I made these crispy artichokes with a blackberry pesto. Not only is this a unique way to enjoy artichokes, but pairing them with a punch of fresh blackberry flavor is the perfect combination of savory and sweet. 

For the artichokes, I lightly fried them in cornstarch to make sure they were extra crispy. As for the pesto, it's super easy to make and so versatile! The texture from the pecans and blackberries, along with the sweetness and depth of the maple syrup, is absolutely delicious. I had just enough leftover to spread on my toast this morning and completely fell in love with that combo. I think the pesto would be great tossed in a simple salad, too!

I'd love to hear your favorite veggie + fruit combos in the comment section below!

Ingredients:

8 cooked Ocean Mist Farms artichoke hearts

½ cup cornstarch

½ T kosher salt

½ tsp red chili flake

20 turns fresh cracked pepper

2 cups canola oil

½ cup blackberries, finely chopped

¼ cup toasted pecans, finely chopped

1 tsp balsamic vinegar

1 tsp maple syrup

Instructions:

Finely chop blackberries and pecans.

In a small mixing bowl, mix together the chopped blackberries, pecans, balsamic vinegar, and
maple syrup. Set aside.

Mix together the cornstarch, salt, chili flake, and pepper. Set aside.

Cut artichokes in half. 

Heat 2 cups of canola oil over high in a small sauce pot. Toss the artichoke halves in the cornstarch mixture until well coated. Once oil is hot, fry the artichokes for 1 minute**
**If the oil is too hot, the artichokes will brown in less than 30 seconds, if the oil is too cold, they
won’t be golden brown by 1 minute. Test one artichoke before frying them all to ensure the oil is
hot enough. Artichokes should be crispy and golden brown.

After frying, let artichokes drain off excess oil by laying them onto a paper towel.

Scoop a little bit of the berry mixture onto each artichoke. Serve immediately.
Enjoy!