SERVES 4

White truffles transform any vegetable or salad into a culinary experience. This salad can be adapted to such other vegetables as fava beans, celery, or fennel.

1 clove garlic, peeled and halved lengthwise
1 lemon
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
20 baby artichokes, 2"–3" long
2 oz. fresh parmigiano-reggiano
1 oz. white truffles

1. Rub a medium bowl with garlic, then squeeze lemon into it. Stir in a pinch of salt, some pepper, and olive oil.

2. Pull outer leaves off artichokes until you reach the half-yellow, tender leaves. Cut artichokes in half crosswise where yellow flesh begins to turn green. Pare away tough, blackened stem skin and tip. With a thin, sharp knife or mandoline-type cutter, slice artichokes as thinly as possible, no more than 1⁄8" thick. Toss artichokes in dressing as cut to prevent browning. Add more salt and pepper to taste, then marinate for 1⁄2 hour.

3. Arrange artichokes on a serving platter. Using a vegetable peeler or mandoline, shave parmigiano over artichokes, then shave truffles over the dish and serve at once.