Cardoons are the hunchback of vegetables
Victor Hugo began writing “The Hunchback of Notre-Dame” in 1829, not to raise sympathy for sufferers of Kyphosis, but rather to draw attention to the destruction of old Gothic architecture taking place throughout Europe. What better setting than the ultimate Gothic building, Notre Dame?
There is a rare Italian vegetable also named for a hunchback, Gobbo Di Nizzia Cardoon or The Hunchback of Nice. It is called the hunchback because of its curved, broad white stems.
Like all cardoons, you can fry the stalks breaded or plain, drop them into soups and stews, pickle them or eat them raw, dipped in olive oil. Cook the cardoon root as you would parsnips.
Cardoons (Cynara cardunculus) have been cultivated for over 3,000 years, and look almost prehistoric with their serrated leaves on plants that can get seven feet tall. Cardoons probably came to America in the 1790s with the Quakers. Cardoons are members of the artichoke family, but you don’t eat the flower heads like you do with artichokes. With cardoons, you eat the stalks, and even the roots. Best of all, they taste like artichokes, although with a somewhat spicy flavor.
To grow tender stalks, it is best to blanch them in the garden by wrapping them in heavy paper or cardboard. In mild climates they will produce good crops for up to seven years. In USDA climate zones 5 or lower they are best grown as an annual.
You can either start the seeds indoors, and set out plants once the weather warms up, or wait and sow the seeds directly in the garden after the last frost. Plant them in rich, fertile, well-drained soil in direct sun.
To start indoors, sow seeds six to eight weeks before your last frost date. Sow the seeds one-quarter inch apart and one-quarter inch deep in the flats. Set plants three feet apart in rows four to six feet apart. Cardoons grow best in soil with a pH between 6.6 and 7.8.
Because they grow so tall, the plants might need some support. Three or four weeks before harvesting, blanch the stems by wrapping them in newspaper or cardboard. This cuts off sunlight and makes the stalks more tender.
Cardoon seeds are available from many seed houses such as Johnny’s Seeds (www.johnnyseeds.com) or Seeds From Italy (www.growitalian.com or by mail at PO Box 3908, Lawrence KS 66046).
You can save your own seeds for your cardoon crop. Let the flowers fade on the plants to seedheads. Allow the seedheads to dry on the plants, then carefully cut them down and remove the seeds. Because some people get a rash from handling the seeds, wear protective gloves.
In addition to Gobbo Di Nizzia there are many other varieties of cardoon. Rouge d’Alger is a blushing red heirloom cardoon from Algeria. With the red highlights against the grey foliage, it is stunning enough to be grown as an ornamental. Rouge d’Alger flowers cook up like dainty miniature artichokes.
Bianco Avorio cardoon is a more primitive type with a few prickly spines.
Whether you eat the stems or roots, or just grow them for their stunning grey-green foliage plant some cardoons this year. The prehistoric plants may remind us that like Victor Hugo, some things are quite worth saving, even those like cardoon and Gothic architecture, once both considered barbaric.
