Serves 4 people as a main dish

Ingredients:

• 1 large artichoke – heart removed, sliced into 8 sections
• 1 cup sugar snap peas – chopped
• 1 small fennel bulb – sliced thin
• 1 cup sweet corn
• 1 carrot – peeled and diced
• 2 celery stalks – diced
• 1 cup zucchini – sliced
• 1 small Spanish onion – diced
• 4 garlic cloves – diced
• 4 tomatoes – canned, cut into ¼ pieces 
• 10 green olives – sliced
• 4 cups vegetable stock 
• 6 tablespoons olive oil 
• 1 teaspoon of saffron threads 
• ½ teaspoon paprika
• 1.5 teaspoons sea salt
• 1 large orange –  juiced
• 1.5 cups jasmine rice

Preheat oven to 400° degrees.

Start by stirring saffron, salt and paprika into the vegetable stock, set aside for a few hours.

Over high heat place the artichoke slices in a 10 inch cast iron skillet. Add 2 inches of water and 2 tablespoons of olive oil, cover and simmer until the water has evaporated. Remove the artichokes and set aside.

In the same pan over medium heat add 2 tablespoons of olive oil then the onions, celery and carrot, stir until they begin to soften, add rice and stir.

After stirring for 2-3 minutes add half of the saffron infused stock and stir once more. 

Next, add the corn, peas, saffron and orange juice. Don’t stir.

Finally, while simmering the rice, top it with poached/sliced artichokes, fennel, tomatoes and olives.

Place in the oven for 10 minutes, then mix the remaining olive oil with the remaining saffron infused vegetable stock and pour over the top of the artichokes and fennel.

Cook in the oven for 20 minutes. Turn the oven off and serve when ready.