I'm growing cardoons. I've also grown artichokes (thanks to Silvia). In my experience it is best to start them in early fall, even the very end of summer, then grow them over the cool season, because in general they can take our coldest weather but not the hot weather. Even if you manage to coax them to survive the heat (difficult) they will be bitter. If it were me I would keep the seeds until next fall, plant them then.

This is my first year with cardoons. (I've grown only artichokes in the past). The cardoons are finally about 1 1/2 feet tall now, and I'm going to begin blanching some some them right after Christmas (tying newspaper around the stalks to keep them in the dark a few weeks). My plan is to wrap one cardoon plant every week or two, then harvest one every week or two into March. I have very high hopes for these cardoons!

Bill

Thanks Bill!

I read just about every word that Sylvia posts and am so inspired by her. When I saw the pics she posted of artichokes at Epcot I felt less discouraged after reading so many posts about how they won't grow here. I grew up eating stuffed artichokes and we love them. Some of my relatives on my father's side used to make fried cardoon (they called them cardone) either with the Feast of the Seven Fishes or as a nosh on Christmas day. I was just a kid but I remember they were a lot of work. I had forgotten all about them until I saw them in a seed catalog.

I started some artichoke and cardoon seeds a few weeks ago, just a few of each, and so far one cardoon has germinated. I'm going to baby it inside a little longer and then stick it outside just to get the hang of growing it. If nothing else, I'll have a nice ornamental plant, but hopefully I'll have something to tinker with and watch how it grows. They're supposed to be able to grow as a perennial in zone 9 but who knows with this goofy humidity and monsoon rain.

I hope you'll post more about your cardoons after you've blanched and then eaten them.

Good luck! I will try to post pics when I started blanching, harvesting etc. I'm growing the Porto "Spineless" type so hopefully they won't be quite so much work. Next year I may try some of the old (spiny) heirlooms, to compare.

You wouldn't have that recipe for fried cardone?

Best.

Bill

Well, my people were bad about writing things down but I have a pretty good memory. With the cardoon, they had the the thorny spines so they used to peel everything off them. Then they would cut them into about 3" pieces. By the time the cardoon were all peeled and cut, the pot of water would be boiling. I think they put a cut lemon and a handful of salt in the water. They would simmer the cardoon for around 20 minutes and then drained them and let them cool and dry. This part they would do in advance. Later they would roll them in seasoned flour (they always seasoned the flour whenever they fried), dipped them in egg and then into the pot. They fried them in oil (probably olive because that was the only kind they used). The cardoon came out when they were golden and were scooped onto brown paper towels. Then someone would sprinkle them with salt and a bit of cheese from the mouli grater. Hope that helps. I don't have exact measures but it gives you an idea.

Oh, one other thing. My nana, on the French side of my family, used to cook cardoon also when it was available, otherwise she used celery. She would clean the cardoon really well, cut into small pieces and would soak it in lemon water in the fridge the night before. Then she would rinse it first thing in the morning and put it in a buttered glass dish. She added a little milk (back then it was the whole variety the milkman delivered) seasoned with salt, pepper and nutmeg and added tons of shredded gruyere. She would bake it in the oven until the whole thing was bubbly and golden. Towards the end she would put a few pats of butter on top and a light sprinkle of bread crumbs and cook a little longer until the crumbs were nicely toasted. This was quite delicious. We mostly had this with celery (not pre-soaked) because it was much more available, but once in a while she would score some cardoon. She came here as a baby and cooked what is considered peasant food. I try to make at least one dish of hers every holiday just to keep it alive. She would do the same thing with cooked egg noodles EVERY HOLIDAY and the ones that poked out of the top would be brown and crunchy. People have gone insane when I've made this. They ask what the dish is called. Now when company comes for a holiday they ask if I made "Nana's Noodles." Between the French and Italian sides, I'm surprised I haven't dropped dead from heart disease.

Sorry to stray off topic. I get madly passionate about food. I had my first Cherokee Purple sliced on the side with supper last night. My mouth is still singing.

Thanks so much for the recipes! They sound delicious. I'm going to try both. I'm going to do the Italian one as an appetizer, and the French one with a loaf of good bread.

I'm going to try some old Spanish recipes too--if I can find some. My wife is from Spain, and cardoons are considered a delicacy there. (They call them "cardos.") I asked my suegra (mother-in-law) for recipes, but she doesn't cook cardos, so I'm going to have to do some investigation.

Thanks again.

Bill