Cardoons: The Silent Winter Vegetable

I know what you’re thinking: “What the heck is a cardoon?” The unfamiliar name doesn’t roll of your tongue like the common carrot, but it is a must-try winter vegetable.

The artichoke relative is a unique vegetable that rarely make the dinner plate. Described as a “celery on steroids,” the cardoon used to grace the tables of Ancient Rome and is a popular, seasonal Italian treat. Cardoons are a bit hard to come by in the U.S., however, they are in prime season now and a good farmers market or grocer will carry the crop. If you find cardoons this season, don’t pass them up! You’ll be glad you challenged your palate and your mind to gravitate towards something new.

The fat free, high potassium and fiber stalk has the texture of celery, but has the flavor of artichoke hearts with a little bitterness. The often ignored vegetable is actually quite simple to prepare and can be served lightly tossed in your favorite vinaigrette for a fresh salad, but the real joy of cardoons is their versatility. Cardoons can be an excellent addition to stews, fried and eaten as fritters, baked or roasted—they make an excellent side dish or can be a stand-alone star vegetable.

To get your taste buds craving cardoons try this Cardoon Gratin that will have you talking up a cardoon storm with all your foodie friends.

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Recipe by Huntler Angler Gardener Cook

Serves 4-6  | Prep Time: 15 minutes  | Cook Time: 90 minutes

Ingredients

• Stalks from 1 large cardoon
• 2 lemons
• Salt
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons bacon fat or olive oil
• 1/2 cup coarsely grated provolone cheese or mozzarella
• 1/2 cup finely grated pecorino
• Freshly ground black pepper

Bring a large kettle of salty water to a boil and preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

While the water is heating, use your fingers to zip off the little strings on the ribs of the cardoon stalks. You don’t have to get them all, just do your best. Don’t dig too deep or you will break the stalk.

Juice one lemon and pour the juice into a large bowl of cold water. Chop the cardoon stalks into batons of whatever length you like; I like 2-inch batons. Put the cut cardoons into the lemon water to keep them from discoloring.

Toss the already squeezed lemon pieces into the boiling kettle, then whisk in the flour. Let this boil for a minute or two. The lemon-salt-flour combo affects the cardoons in some way that keeps them a pretty light green and removes some of the bitterness. (This is Wolfert’s trick.)

Toss in the cardoons and boil for 40 minutes.

Smear olive oil or bacon fat all over the inside of a casserole just large enough to hold the cardoon pieces in one layer. When the cardoons are done, arrange them in the casserole. Sprinkle over the mozzarella, then the pecorino. Bake for about 35 minutes, or until the cheese begins brown.

Serve with a wedge of lemon and freshly ground black pepper.

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Have you ever tried cardoons? Tell us about it! 

Photo 1 courtesy of La.blasco via Flickr (CC BY 3.0) 

Photo 2 courtesy of La.blasco via Flickr (CC BY 3.0)