Traditional Fried Cardoon

The mysterious cardoon. In the same family as thistle and artichoke, it has been cultivated in the Mediterranean for centuries. It was one of those foods that I occasionally encountered growing up but never fully understood - food from the “old world” that became uncommon as immigrants became more Americanized overtime. Video about the process below.

But this was the year that I finally decided to grow some myself. When you read about how to cultivate and prepare it, you ask yourself why you’re going through the trouble. The plant is covered in sharp spines and needs to be handled with gloves. The only edible part (when mature) is the most tender part of the stalk, but only after it is peeled, blanched, and cooked. It’s a lot of work but it also posed a new challenge.

I mostly remember it being breaded and fried so I decided to keep it classic and simple with the hopes that the artichoke-like flavor carried through. I’m not sure that cardoon will be taking up valuable real estate in my plot next season but it was a worthwhile experiment this year. 

Slow Pizza : 120 Days Start to Finish

Firing this pizza in the @oonihq Pro oven only takes about 60 to 90 seconds. But this peak season pie, built around sweet golden cherry tomatoes, padron peppers, and basil took 120 days to make - from the planting of each seed, to the transfer outdoors, and to the ultimate harvest when the vegetables are in peak form. It’s a pie that only happens during a short window during the summer, and with the addition of soppressata - it’s one that is essential every year at the height of the summer season. Video about the process below.

Friar's Beard Bucatini

Agretti, also known as Salsola Soda, saltwort, friar’s beard or “land seaweed” has a high salt tolerance and has been traditionally cultivated in coastal areas of the Mediterranean. It also has a notoriously poor germination rate. I was lucky to get three plants out the 24 seeds that I sowed. So this dish of sautéed agretti, fresh garlic, twisted together with bucatini and topped with cayenne salt cured egg yolks and breadcrumbs was completely savored. It’s always fun experimenting with new varieties in the garden.

For the cured egg yolk, I used a common recipe found online which involves curing the yolks in a mix of sugar and salt for up to one week in the refrigerator. After a week you remove the yolks, gently rince them off with cold water, and place them on a wire rack and back them at a very low temperature (150 F) in the oven for 1.5 hours. That’t it, super easy. Where I modified the recipe was with the introduction of hot cayenne powder in the mix, which really infused a spicy flavor to the yolks.