Artichoke & Potato Gratin

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Coat a 1 1/2-quart gratin dish or other shallow baking dish with cooking spray. Combine Parmesan and garlic in a small bowl; set aside.

To prepare artichokes, fill a large bowl with cold water. Juice the lemon and add to the water; add the lemon halves to the water as well. Peel away all the outer leaves of the artichokes, snapping the leaves off at the base until the fuzzy choke is visible. Trim off the leaves with a paring knife, removing any fibrous green portions. Trim the bottom 1/4 inch off the stem and pare away the tough outer skin. Remove the choke with a melon baller or knife. Slice the stem and heart into thin slices and drop into the lemon water. Repeat with the remaining artichokes.

Cut potatoes into 1/4-inch-thick slices (a food processor does the job nicely) and spread half of them in the prepared dish. Drain the artichokes, discarding the lemon halves, and place them on top of the potatoes. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons lemon juice, followed by salt, pepper and half of the Parmesan mixture over the artichokes. Layer the remaining potatoes on top. Pour broth over the vegetables and cover the dish tightly with foil. Bake until the potatoes are very tender, 1 to 1 1/4 hours.

Combine the remaining Parmesan mixture with breadcrumbs and sprinkle over the potatoes. Bake, uncovered, until the top is golden, 10 to 15 minutes longer.