Cardoon, a Celery-like vegetable that tastes like artichokes
Cynara cardunculus
Family: Asteraceae
Perennial Vegetable
This is the mother of the artichoke plant. While it produces edible buds (like the artichoke) it is mostly cultivated for its much thicker leaf stems. This is a perennial plant that goes dormant (dies to the ground) in summer, re-emerging from the roots in fall (or late summer). Plants will produce more rosettes as they grow and age.
History
Cardoons are native to Northwest Africa and have been growing wild for thousands of years. The prickly plant was introduced to Central and Western Mediterranean regions in ancient times, and the crops quickly began to be domesticated and utilized for culinary applications. Cardoons were a common vegetable in Persian, Roman, and Greek cuisine and maintained a presence in European cooking through the Middle Ages.
In the Victorian Era, the stalks were a favorite vegetable among the English upper class, and during this time, the plant was also brought to the New World in the 1700s. In the 19th century, Cardoons fell out of favor due to their laborious nature and have remained mostly unknown in the modern-day, except for their use in regions of Italy, Spain, and France. Despite their decline in the culinary world, Cardoons are a highly invasive plant, escaping cultivation, and have naturalized in warm regions across Europe, Northern Africa, the United States, South America, Australia, and New Zealand. Today Cardoons are primarily sold through farmer’s markets and specialty stores when in season. The stalks are also occasionally grown as an ornamental in home gardens for their violet flowers.
USES
While the flower buds can be eaten like artichokes, more often the stems are eaten after being braised in cooking liquid. Cardoon stems are part of Lyonnaise cuisine (e.g. gratin de cardons). Only the innermost, white stalks are considered edible, and cardoons are therefore usually prepared for sale by protecting the leaf stalks from the sunlight for several weeks. This was traditionally done by burying the plant underground, thus, cardoon plantations in Spain are often formed by characteristic earth mounds surrounding each plant, the earth covering the stalks. In modern cultivation, the plant is usually instead wrapped in black plastic film or other opaque material.’
Cardoons need to be cleaned and prepared before consumption, stripping away the spines and fibers. The spines can be quite sharp, and it is recommended to wear protective gloves to prevent color staining, rashes, and irritation on the hands. When preparing, outer leaves should be discarded, and the fibrous strings should be peeled from the stalks, also removing the spines found along the edges. As the stalks are being stripped and chopped, the pieces should be kept in acidulated water to avoid discoloration. Cardoon stalks are typically parboiled to remove their bitter flavor and are steamed, sauteed, boiled, baked, deep-fried, or braised. The sliced stalks can be simmered into soups and stews, combined into gratins, boiled and tossed into salads, or slow-cooked in vegetable and meat dishes. Cardoons can also be battered and fried, cooked and preserved in extra virgin olive oil, or steamed and consumed with flavorful dips on appetizer plates. In Italy, Cardoons are utilized in bagna cauda, a dish where the stalks are boiled and fried, served with a warm fondue-like cheese, garlic, and anchovy sauce. The stalks are also used in cocido madrileño, a meat and vegetable stew considered to be one of Spain’s national dishes. Cardoons pair well with cheeses such as parmesan, ricotta, goat, feta, and mozzarella, lemon juice, herbs such as parsley, basil, dill, and thyme, seafood, including clams, oysters, and fish, truffles, other mushrooms, tomatoes, peppers, garlic, beans, and spreads such as nut butter and hummus. Raw Cardoon stalks will keep two weeks when wrapped in a damp paper towel and stored in a plastic bag in the crisper drawer of the refrigerator. Once cooked, the tender pieces will keep up to three days in the fridge.
PRESERVATION
Cardoon can be preserved much like artichoke hearts, in oil.
GROWING
SEASON & PLANTING
You can plant starts any time of year. Though large plants go dormant in summer, young plants in small pots may be actively growing even in summer. They can be planted anytime. Fall is probably the best time to plant them so that you have enough time for the plant to grow and produce large, thick stems.
SOIL & NUTRITION
This plant grows in many soil types, best planted in amended garden soil that is well-drained.
TEMPERATURE & SUN EXPOSURE
Plant in full to part sun. Our brief frosts don’t generally cause much damage to cardoon plants. If the cold snap is very hard and sustained, the outer foliage may be damaged, but plants generally grow back and are looking fine by spring.
WATER
Moderate to regular water, if good drainage is present.
HARVESTING
Cardoons are ready to harvest when the thickened leaf midribs/bases are mature. In California, this is usually in fall. But it can be almost any time of year in Arizona and just depends on when the plants are ready.
WILDLIFE
This plant is highly edible to animals. Protect plants from hungry mammals.
INVASIVENESS
Cardoon plants do not seem to be escaping cultivation in our region.
VARIETIES
Gobbo Di Nizza Monferrato Large plant producing strong celery flavored cardoons from near Asti in Piemonte.
Bianco Avorio A mid-late very large, vigorous plant with large white stalks. Thin ribs (compared to Gobbo di Nizza). Straight plant with some spines. Spineless, silvery-green serrated leaves
Plein Blanc Inerme White, thornless leaf midribs grow tall and are extra thick. Vigorous upright growth results in partial self-blanching, giving Plein Blanc Inerme Blanco Cardoon a higher culinary value than more traditional varieties.
D'Alger An heirloom Cardoon that originates from Algeria, hence the name “Rough d’alger”. Large edible ornamental stalk’s are blush red are a feature of this cardoon as they are highlighted again he blue-green leaves.
Rouge dAlger This exciting heirloom Cardoon was developed in Algeria, hence the name. It has big, edible and ornamental stalks that are blushed in red, which is so striking against the blue-green leaves.