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This is a delicious match for roasted lamb or grilled lamb chops, especially with a little rice pilaf to soak up all the juices. The gaminess of the lamb is a perfect partner for the bold, rich flavor of the artichokes. It’s a soulful combination.

8 medium artichokes, long stems left on, if present

2 lemons

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 large Spanish or sweet onions, thickly sliced

2 bulbs fennel, thickly sliced crosswise

2 cups white wine

2 quarts water

2 fresh bay leaves or 4 dried leaves

Kosher salt and cracked black pepper

2 tablespoons Garlic Purée (page 264)

Generous handful small, picked sprigs dill

4 ounces (1 stick) cold, unsalted butter, cut into pieces

Pull off the tough artichoke leaves until you reach the pale yellow leaves. Cut off the pointed tops about half an inch above the base. Trim the dark bits from the stem and base with a vegetable peeler. As you work, throw the trimmed artichokes into a bowl of cold water acidulated with the juice of 1 lemon.

In a large, heavy pot or Dutch oven, warm the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and fennel, and sauté until slightly wilted, about 5 to 7 minutes. Deglaze the pan with the white wine and simmer briskly until completely evaporated. Add the drained artichokes, water, bay leaves, 1 tablespoon kosher salt, and a generous grinding of pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, partially cover the pan, and simmer until the artichokes are soft and offer almost no resistance to the point of a knife, about 35 minutes.

Drain the artichokes and vegetables, reserving all the braising liquid (discard the bay leaves). Let cool for 10 minutes. Pour 2 cups of the braising liquid into a blender and add three quarters of the fennel and onion pieces (reserve the remaining vegetables and the artichokes). Purée until completely smooth. (Reserve the remaining braising liquid for another use.) Return the puréed liquid to the pan; simmer very actively over high heat to reduce and thicken the juices, 10 to 15 minutes.

Stir in the Garlic Purée, the juice of the remaining lemon, and the dill. Return the artichokes and remaining vegetables to the pan. Reduce to a simmer and swirl in the butter until melted. Remove from the heat.

PASTITSIO

MAKES ONE LARGE PAN, ENOUGH FOR 15 TO 20 PEOPLE AS PART OF A LARGE BUFFET SPREAD

This is a classic Greek dish, which I often refer to as a Greek version of lasagna. You will need a deep, lasagna-style pan, and it may be hard to find the pastitsio noodles called for here. Try a Greek or Middle Eastern market or, of course, the Internet. The crucial thing is that the noodles be both hollow and straight, so you may substitute bucatini, perciatelli, ditali, or long, straight ziti laid end-to-end. This casserole, as with lasagna, must rest before serving to set, or it will be difficult to serve.

3 tablespoons blended oil (90 percent canola, 10 percent extra-virgin olive)

1 large Spanish or sweet onion, finely chopped

3 fresh bay leaves or 6 dried leaves

2 cinnamon sticks

2 pounds ground beef

1¼ teaspoons ground cinnamon

Pinch ground nutmeg (optional)

Pinch ground cloves (optional)

¼ cup tomato paste

2¼ quarts water

1 (28-ounce) can plum tomatoes, crushed slightly, with all the juices

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

1 teaspoon sugar

Kosher salt and cracked black pepper

1 (500-gram) package Misko Macaroni Pastitsio no. 2 (see above)

1¾ quarts Greek Béchamel Sauce (page 274, with eggs)

1 cup coarsely grated graviera cheese

Make the kima sauce: in a large, heavy pot over medium-high heat, add the oil and wilt the onion with the bay leaves and cinnamon sticks for 3 to 5 minutes. Add the ground beef and brown thoroughly. Add all the spices and the tomato paste and stir for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the water, tomatoes, vinegar, sugar, about 2 tablespoons of kosher salt, and a generous grinding of pepper. Bring to a boil.

Reduce the heat, partially cover, and simmer for 65 to 75 minutes. Skim off the fat once or twice. Reduce until the sauce is almost completely