Artichokes with Lemon & Dill

Squeeze the juice from 2 lemons. Fill a large bowl of cold water and add the juice and rinds. Use a paring knife to trim the bottom 1/4 inch off the artichoke stems. Snip the thorn off the leaves with kitchen shears. Cut off about 1 inch from the tops. With a melon baller or spoon, scoop out the fuzzy chokes. Place the trimmed artichokes in the lemon water to prevent discoloration.

Squeeze 1/3 cup juice from the remaining 2 lemons. Combine the juice with 2 cups water in a large nonreactive pot wide enough to hold the artichokes in a single layer. Drain the artichokes and lay them on their sides in the pot. Top with garlic, dill, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer, turning the artichokes once, until tender when pierced with a fork, 18 to 20 minutes.

With a slotted spoon, transfer the artichokes to a deep platter. Simmer the liquid remaining in the pan over medium-high heat until reduced to 1 1/4 cups, about 10 minutes; spoon over the artichokes. Let cool to room temperature.

To serve, drizzle the artichokes with oil and baste with sauce. Garnish with chopped dill and lemon wedges, if desired.