Notes: Cardoon, a vegetable that is not seen much in America, is quite popular in Italy and France. It looks rather similar to the artichoke plant, but you eat the stalks of the leaves rather than the bud or flower. When it grows it looks wonderfully prehistoric, with great long ribbed stalks and huge, beautiful silvery green leaves. Cardoon is completely inedible raw—it’s one of those plants that make you wonder who first thought of eating it—but when cooked it has a flavor not dissimilar to celery.
When you’re lucky enough to get some stalks, use a vegetable peeler to remove any large ribs so that the stalk is nearly smooth. Don’t worry too much about the fiber they will soften during cooking, and this is definitely a rustic vegetable.
Serve this dish with a salad, or as a side dish itself. A great addition is some ham stirred in just before it goes into the oven (and before you adjust the salt and pepper, because ham will add a lot of flavor).
Ingredients: 1 lemon, cut in half
3 18-24 inch long cardoon stalks, peeled and chopped into 1/2-inch crescents
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic
2 tsp frsh thyme leave
1 pint heavy cream
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions: 1. In a large pot, bring 5 quarts salted water to a boil.
2. When water is boiling, add lemon, then add cardoon pieces. Lower heat to a gentle boil and cook cardoons for about 40 minutes uncovered When cardoons are ready they should be tender and tasty drain, discarding cooking liquid.
3. Preheat oven to 375º. Heat a large sauté pan over medium heat. Pour in olive oil and add garlic and thyme. Sauté for a couple of minutes until garlic is golden. Add cardoons and toss. Add cream and bring to a simmer. Add three-fourths of the Parmesan cheese; taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper if needed.
4. Place mixture in a gratin dish and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake for 25 minutes, or until golden brown.
[an error occurred while processing this directive]
