Recipe - Roman Spring Vegetable Casserole With Artichokes

One half Lemon
4 md Globe artichokes ; (to 5)
2 pound Young fava beans in their
pods; abt 2 cups shelled
1 lg Romaine lettuce head
2 Fresh spring onions (to
3); or 2 cups
Thinly
Sliced medium white onions
One half cup Extravirgin olive oil
Salt; to taste
2 pound Fresh; young peas in their
pods, abt 2 cups shelled

Squeeze the juice of One half lemon into a bowl of cold water. Prepare the
artichokes by trimming away all the tough, inedible portions. Cut the
trimmed artichokes lengthwise into wedges about 1/2inch thick. Drop the
wedges into the bowl containing the water and lemon juice.

If any shelled fava bean is more than 1inch in length, cut away the thick
green skin that sheaths it.

Detach the leaves from the lettuce head, discarding any bruised, wilted, or
discolored ones. Soak the leaves in two or three changes of water, drain,
and shred them fine. You should have approximately 4 cups, but a bit more
or less won't matter too much.

If using fresh spring onions, cut off all the green tops and the root ends,
then slice them very thin.

Choose a saucepan that can subsequently accommodate all the ingredients.
Put in the cut or sliced up onions, the olive oil, and a large pinch of salt, and
turn on the heat to low. Cook the onions, turning them over from time to
time, until they have become completely wilted.

Drain the artichokes, rinse them in cold water, and put them in the pot,
together with the shelled peas, fava beans, and shredded romaine lettuce.
Sprinkle liberally with salt and turn over all ingredients several times to
coat them well.

Put a lid on the pot and cook, always at low heat, turning the contents of
the pot over from time to time, until the artichokes, peas, and beans are
tender. It may take up to 2 hours, depending on the freshness and youth of
the vegetables. Add 1/3 cup water whenever the cooking juices appear to be
insufficient to keep the vegetables from sticking to the pot. You should
need no more than 2 cups of water all together.

Taste and correct for salt, and serve warm, but not piping hot, from a
shallow bowl or deep platter.

Ahead of time note: You may cook this dish 2 or 3 days in advance,
refrigerating it in an airtight container. Reheat gently but thoroughly
before serving, adding a tablespoon or two of water if necessary.

This recipe yields 8