Boil the artichokes in salted water for about 40 minutes. Remove the leaves, which are not needed for this recipe, then halve the artichoke hearts and leave them to cool.

Peel and halve the tomatoes and remove the seeds. Thinly slice the courgette, fry lightly on both sides in a little oil in a frying pan and leave to cool. Peel the shallots.

Halve the green and red peppers, remove the core and seeds, blanch the halves in boiling water for 7 minutes and then drain. Slice the garlic.

Halve the chillies, remove the seeds and then finely chop.

Arrange the vegetables in a large shallow dish with the bay leaves. Beat the remaining oil with the vinegar, sugar and salt and pour over the vegetables. Top with the sprig of thyme.

Cover the dish and leave the vegetables to marinate in the refrigerator for 12 - 24 hours. Serve the vegetables in the marinade.

Serve with: fresh French bread or toasted wholemeal bread.