Warm Artichoke and Chicken Liver Salad

1. Bring a small saucepan of water to a boil. Snap off the outer leaves of each artichoke. Cut off the leaves and stems, peel the artichoke bottoms and scrape out the furry choke. Rub the bottoms all over with the lemon half. Add the artichokes to the pan and cook until tender, 15 minutes. Drain and quarter the hearts.
2. Meanwhile, whisk 3 tablespoons of the olive oil with the shallots, vinegar, zest, thyme and mustard. Season with salt and pepper.
3. In a large, nonstick skillet, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Season the chicken livers with salt and pepper and lightly coat with flour. Cook them over moderately high heat until still pink inside, about 4 minutes; transfer to a plate. Discard the oil, add the artichokes to the pan and heat through. Stir in the livers and vinaigrette. Serve the artichoke and liver mixture on the mache.

Yield: 4 servings