Cardoon and Artichoke

I have a cardoon and an artichoke growing in my veg patch plus two more artichokes in other parts of the garden, all from seeds. I have never grown cardoon before and the mature one that I saw in the Dunedin Botanic Garden was almost as tall as me . It is a huge plant so one needs space to plant it.Next season I shall plant it in the ‘ornamental’ section of the garden since it becomes such a spectacular plant. One eats the ‘flower buds’ on the artichoke and the stems of the cardoon. Artichokes are a firm fixture on our menu when they are in season, but I have never cooked cardoon before. I have been collecting ideas and recipes and shall post my favourites once I have either of them harvested and cooked.

Presently the plant look similar, both have small flowers buds, so I have to wait and see what the mature plants look like. On the left is the cardoon and on the right the artichoke as they are at present.

Cardoon Artichoke

Ricotta and Beetroot Tops Pasta. One of the best pastas I have ever eaten and I have eaten a LOT of pasta!

Most of the ricotta has been devoured; we ate it on toast with jam on top, as part of an antipasto spread involving the roast carrots and beetroot that the tops came from, and I am ashamed to say that I ate some ‘straight’ using a spoon. Today’s lunch was delicious and quick to prepare

Ricotta and Beetroot Tops Pasta

2 cloves garlic

4 tablespoons of olive oil (More if tr is too tight)

1 pinch chili flakes

3 cups cooked beetroot tops. I have quite a lot in the fridge after cooking my harvest. link

4 strips of bacon, chopped ( normally I would use panchetta, but where I live good quality Italian meats are non existent)

1/2 cup of ricotta (or, in my case, as much as you have left over)

Spaghetti

Parmigiano grated

Put the spaghetti into fast boiling, salted water. Cook until al dente, not soggy. Use a pan big enough to hold the sauce and the pasta. Crisp the bacon in olive oil and add the chili and garlic. When the garlic has softened add the beetroot tops and fry for a bit. Cook until the beetroot is hot, check for salt and pepper. Stir in the ricotta, not too well, keep a few lumps in the mix Add the pasta and mix. Serve with grated parmgiano .

Carrot Top Pesto tried, tasted, and will make again and again

Carrot Top Pesto (Seriously Tasty)

I still love Basil Pesto but carrot tops will never be composted in my house again. Basil is hard to grow in Dunedin and costs a mint to buy. Carrot tops come FREE with your carrots and taste just as good as Basil. With our zero waste policy we do have a problem scraping together enough kitchen scraps for the chickens and quails. ( They do have a few hours of free range a day, when I can guard my veg patch, so they are doing well). Rocket works equally well to replace either basil or carrot tops.

1 Bunch of carrot tops, washed. You can separate the leaves from the stems, but I processed the entire bunch

2 Large garlic cloves

1/4 Cup grated parmigiano cheese

3/4 Cup of good Extra Virgin olive oil

3 Tablespoons of nuts (pine nuts, cashews, macadamia, sunflower seeds all work well)

Salt and pepper to taste. (I do not use salt in pesto because the cheese is salty enough for me).

Put everything except the cheese in the food processor or blender and process. Do not make it into slush – keep a fine texture. You may need more olive oil to complete the job. Mix in the cheese and pulse a few more times.

Serve on fresh or toasted bread, dab on to meat, chicken, fish and vegetarian dishes, use as dip for carrots and other fresh veg, salad dressing, and of course as a pasta sauce.

You will notice that I did not give exact quantities, as these would depend on what you want to achieve – more garlic, basil, cheese, etc.

Today’s Harvest

What I harvested today were Carrots, Beetroot, Celery, Spring Onions and Radish. Of all the delicious foods I am going to cook from this I am most exited about the Carrot Leave Pesto. I have all my life made Basil Pesto with the abundance of Basil that was growing where ever I was, but Dunedin has taught me that you cannot grow Basil unless you have Greenhouse. So I have to make Pesto from Carrot Leaves, which I have NEVER done before. Should it be edible at all I shall post the recipe within the next few days.