Cardoon - Artichoke Thistle

Cardoon, also known as Artichoke Thistle or Wild Artichoke, is a large plant related to the globe artichoke. It has long, spined, serrated, silver-grey leaves and lavender thistle-like flowers. Whereas globe artichokes are cultivated for their edible flowers, cardoons are generally cultivated for their ribs (i.e. leaf stems). Cardoon can be grown as an ornamental plant or as a vegetable. Make sure to give it enough space - mature cardoons can reach 1.50 to 2 m in height and 1 m in width. When grown as a vegetable, the ribs are blanched then fried, braised, or tossed into a salad or a gratin.

Harvest: With the exception of self-blanching varieties, cardoons need to be blanched 3 weeks before harvesting. Blanch the stems as and when required. When deprived of light, the leaves will whiten and become more tender. Tie the leaves together in a loose bunch. Make sure air can circulate. Surround them with thick cardboard, allowing the tops of the leaves to stick out. Make a 25 cm high mound of soil around the base of the plant. After about 3 weeks, uncover the leaves and cut them off at ground level.

Storage: Fresh ribs will keep for a few days in the refrigerator. To prolong harvests throughout winter, pull up the cardoon clumps before the first frosts. Place them in sand in a frost-free, dark place, and keep them watered.

Good to know: Cardoons like rich, fertile soil. Grow them after plants from the Fabaceae family (such as peas or beans) as the soil will be enriched with nitrogen. Cardoons are relatively slow-growing plants and can be grown alongside plants with shorter life cycles such as lettuces or radishes.