Cardoon seed head with Forsythia in background.

            The earliest description of the cardoon comes from the fourth century BC Greek writer Theophrastus. The cardoon was popular in Greek and Roman cuisine. Cardoons remained popular in medieval and early modern Europe, and were common in the vegetable gardens of colonial America. They fell from fashion only in the late nineteenth century. In Europe, cardoon is still cultivated in France (Provence, Savoie, Lyonnais), Spain and Italy. In the Geneva region, where Huguenot refugees introduced it about 1685, the local variety cardy is considered a culinary specialty. "Before Cardoons are sent to table, the stalks or ribs are blanched by tying them together and wrapping them round with straw, which is also tied up with cord, and left so for about three weeks".

Cardoon stalks can be covered with small, nearly invisible spines that can cause substantial pain if they become lodged in the skin. Several spineless cultivars have been developed to overcome this, but care in handling is recommended for all types.

Cardoon requires a long, cool growing season (ca. 5 months), but it is frost-sensitive. It also typically requires substantial growing space per plant and hence is not much grown save where it is a regional favorite.

The cardoon is highly invasive and is able to adapt to dry climates. It has become a major weed in the pampas of Argentina and California; it is also considered a weed in Australia.

Taken on: March 14, 2011

Tags:

Cardoon

artichoke

IoW

Nikon

D40/X

Tamron

90mm

1:1

macro

frattonparker

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Sets appears in: • The Holding Pen or Photographs Which Don't Have An Interesting Enough Destination

Groups appears in: • Isle of Wight • VentnorBlog more » • Nikon D40/x Users • Isle of Wight - Photographers • Natural Britain « less

Camera: Nikon D40X, f/6.3, 1/640 sec, 90mm (=135mm), ISO 100 (more info) (hide info)

Camera:	Nikon D40X
Aperture:	f/6.3
Exposure Time:	0.002 sec (1/640)
Focal Length:	90mm (35mm equivalent: 135mm)
ISO:	100
Exposure Bias:	-2/3 EV
Flash:	No Flash
Exposure Program:	Program AE
Exposure Mode:	Auto
Metering Mode:	Multi-segment
White Balance:	Auto
Color Space:	Uncalibrated
Software:	Adobe Photoshop CS4 Windows
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