cardoon

[Hattie the Hen]

Hi there HiDelight

From reading that last article where they suggested that one staggered the blanching process on different plants I think you could have cardoons fit to eat from November through to spring -- lucky you.....!! If they are seeding everywhere you could afford to discard the blanched plants once you have harvested your blanched section.

My plant does not seem to be a problem with self seeding but is huge across the base. I tend to leave the last of the flowers on for the birds in the winter. Sometimes I have to cut them off as they get "Black-fly" on them & because they are so tall it's difficult to spray them thoroughly until too late (I often just don't see them in time). It has happened this year so I will cut them off this morning -- they will probably reflower later this summer.

I can't think of anything nicer than eating cardoons through the late fall & winter. About once a month seems like a good idea to me.

I think they grow quite a lot of cardoons in North Africa ( probably because so much of it was ruled or influenced by the French for so many years). I suspect there are a lot of very interesting recipes from that area.

Have a great Sunday!


:rose Hattie :rose

 

[HiDelight]

that is just wonderful info Hattie as I am working towards a perpetual garden ..so this is a great thing to know I have to go and read what you posted again

it is a magnificant plant dont you think? I let mine go to seed but the babies are not hard to control you just pluck them out if they are in a place you do not want them ..I guess they are considered "invasive" some places but to me things like buttercups and morning glory are far worse to keep under control

Last year I picked the flowers hung them to dry and put them in a giant vase in the entry way...they looked so pretty and kept the blue!

the leaves I take off the bottem that are fading away make great mulch around other plants because nothing grows under them!

do you know I have grown cardoon for 4 years now and never eatent it because of this whole blanching confusion!

but this year I am so eating it! I will pull the leaves up when I plant the garlic and eat it this winter ..so I have this ..carrots, beets, chard and kale so far for winter crops
I will have my perpetual garden yet!

thanks again Hattie

 

[Reinbeau]

I'm going to be happy to get the plant through the winter here. In September I will try to blanch part of it - it's basically three' pups'.

 

[Hattie the Hen]

Hi there!

HiDelight & Reinbeau
-----------------------------------

I'm so pleased with myself -- I have been poking around again on my laptop & I've found lots more recipes for cardoons.

http://italianfood.about.com/blind44.htm

http://italianfood.about.com/library/rec/blr0327.htm ****** [ Edited: a bit more info on cardoons.]

I'm so looking forward to having another go at blanching them. My plant is about 6ft square & getting slightly out of hand.....!! I stupidly planted it too near my main access path; the one I use with the wheelbarrows. So I will use some of the pups on the side nearest the path to experiment with various blanching techniques. If they don't work it wont matter. My clump doesn't grow as high as HiDelight's example. Mine is only eleven foot tall at the moment & I have to cut the flowering thistles off the top as I saw this morning that they have been attacked by black-fly! Still probably more will grow -- I like to use them as decoration indoors; such a beautiful colour.

So now salivate over what we might be eating in a few months time...!!


:rose Hattie :rose

 

[HiDelight]

Hattie thanks ..the fried cardoon I saw that one earlier and YUM!!! anything dipped in batter and fried!!!

the one I tried to blanch the leaves pulled out so I have to try something other than string to pull them up

I have two right now that are blanchable size so I want to do it! the rest are GIANT PLANT FROM OUTTER SPACE with massive blooms the bees just love

the baby strays I planted in the bed took hold and I have about 8 doing well there that should be of size in the fall I hope to blanch

are you just using string to pull your leaves up!

should I just try a to pull a center piece and cook it with out blanching it? what do you think?

I want to taste these monsters!

 

[HiDelight]

ok I just read the second thing and no I can not eat them now they will be way too bitter (I am sure I knew that and have said it myself I was just so curious!) and I have to wait until the late fall or winter so forget it ...I like bitter greens but I imagine this is a very bitter green ..I did not realize you could eat them raw in antipasta

I am going to try some bagna cauda (did I spell that right?) we make that in the winter for company all the time and people always think it is so fantastic to dip vegetables in garlic oil around the fire so I will for sure add the cardoon to the plate this year

I am so surprised more people do not grow this ..if for nothing else the beauty and shock factor of having this magnificant plant in your landscape!!! it is just amazing ..and that reminds me I have to put a baby in a pot for my girlfriend who grew them in Kansas but has not been able to get them to grown here..wierd I wonder why she can grown anything and they grown here because our climate is perfect for them
maybe something ate her seeds when she planted them..she has artichokes this year so she should be able to grown cardoon!

when I get seeds this year of anyone wants some let me know I will mail them to you ..I GET A LOT OF CARDOON SEEDS!!!! so I do not mind a trade or just to share!

 

[Hencackle]

Please describe the taste of cardoon. Does it really taste like artichokes?

I didn't know these grew so tall...how big around do they get at the base? Most likely, I won't have enough room in the garden to spare for such a monstrosity, but I'd love to see this (and taste it) for myself someday.

 

[HiDelight]

Please describe the taste of cardoon. Does it really taste like artichokes?

I didn't know these grew so tall...how big around do they get at the base? Most likely, I won't have enough room in the garden to spare for such a monstrosity, but I'd love to see this (and taste it) for myself someday.

I have not tasted them yet and am just so excited to blanch and use them this year so I will for sure keep you posted... but Hattie has and she says they do taste like artichokes so have other people I have talked to about these ..the texture is different but the flavor is the same ..they are a thistle so I imagine they would ..I am really looking forward to using these for food .. ..and they are HUGE but look so cool I just let them grow in the landscape ..I am thinking my largest one is about 6 ft around but the others are about 3-4 ft ...however if you do not let them go to flower and blanch them I imagine you can control the size

they are so beautiful honestly and that flower is just stunning! dries the same blue as my photo above and makes a great show in a giant floor vase during the winter when you do not have fresh flowers

 

[Hencackle]

HiDelight, be sure to email me just in case because I forgot all about this forum, shame on me.

Do you have any photos to post that show the whole plant next to something else to compare the scale? I'd love to see!

That's such a beautiful blue and I prefer dried flowers to artificial flowers anytime.

 

[HiDelight]

HiDelight, be sure to email me just in case because I forgot all about this forum, shame on me.

Do you have any photos to post that show the whole plant next to something else to compare the scale? I'd love to see!

That's such a beautiful blue and I prefer dried flowers to artificial flowers anytime.

I will have my husband do one and try to post it in the next day or two .my camera is a mess right now and I do not want to touch his I break things.....and abosolutely I will email but how could you forget about us