Globe artichoke - Cynara cardunculus subsp. cardunculus

Organic Cardoon Seeds (Cynara cardunculus): here is a grand heritage vegetable that adds character to both the garden and the plate. A close cousin of the artichoke, the cultivated cardoon forms a large clump of deeply cut, silvery-grey leaves, which are particularly decorative. In summer, its large mauve heads, rich in nectar, are visited by bees and other pollinators. Grown for its edible stalks which are prepared in gratins, this plant combines gustatory, ornamental, and ecological qualities.

The cardoon belongs to the Asteraceae family. Its accepted botanical name is Cynara cardunculus. It is a robust perennial, with a rootstock and a fleshy taproot. Each rosette has a rather biennial cycle: the first year is mainly devoted to foliage development, the second to flowering. The stump will live for over ten years. In the wild, the species is native to the western and central Mediterranean basin (Portugal, Spain, southern France, Italy, the Balkans, North Africa) as well as the Macaronesian islands, where it colonises dry meadows, scrubland, embankments, roadsides, and abandoned fields. The cultivated cardoon corresponds to vegetable forms of Cynara cardunculus (often noted as var. altilis), selected for their fleshier and less thorny midribs than those of the wild form.

The plant forms a very architectural, spreading clump, which reaches 1.50 m to 2 m in height when in flower within a few years, with a spread of 1.20 to 1.50 m. The clump widens by producing new rosettes tightly packed around the stump. The large, pinnate, and deeply cut leaves can exceed 80 cm in length; they are silvery-grey on top, more whitish and tomentose underneath. The foliage is semi-evergreen to evergreen in mild climates, but may disappear in case of severe frosts, regrowing from the stump in spring. From the heart of the rosette emerge sturdy, channelled, greyish stems in spring, which branch and bear large solitary or grouped heads in summer. Each head resembles a smaller artichoke, surrounded by tough, often thorny bracts, from which bursts a crown of violet to mauve tubular florets, very rich in pollen and nectar. Flowering lasts from June to September. The fruits are dark brown achenes topped by a silky pappus; a single head can produce several tens to hundreds of seeds. The powerful and deep root system explains its good drought tolerance once well-established, as well as its ability to regrow after being cut.
The cardoon was recommended as early as the Middle Ages in the Capitulare de villis attributed to Charlemagne, and its dried flowers have been used for centuries as a vegetable coagulant in some traditional Portuguese cheeses: anchoring this grand vegetable in a long European culture.

In the kitchen, it is advisable to blanch the stalks to remove their bitterness. They are rich in fibre, mineral salts, and carbohydrates (notably inulin). Cardoon is credited with laxative and liver-cleansing properties. They can be prepared in gratins, as a purée, as juice, or as an accompaniment to meats.

Cultivation: A few weeks before harvest for heritage varieties, the stalks need to be blanched. To do this, gather the leaves and wrap them in cardboard or an opaque film. Take care to allow air to circulate. Earth up the plants with 25 to 30 cm of soil to stabilise them. With this manoeuvre, the leaves no longer receive light. As photosynthesis no longer takes place, the leaves become tender and whiten. A few weeks later, they are ready to be harvested.

Harvest: Equip yourself with gloves, especially for thorny varieties. Pull up the entire rootball and then place the leaves in a ventilated area, protected from light. Stored correctly, the stalks can be kept and consumed throughout the winter.

The Gardener's Tip: Respect crop rotation by planning to grow cardoons after a crop of Fabaceae (beans, broad beans, chickpeas...). This will have the effect of enriching the soil with nitrogen. Do not replant cardoons in the same spot until at least four years have passed. Indeed, cardoons are heavy feeders.