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.