The garden is still producing, irrespective of what the Dunedin Weatherman throws at it and the severe bashing at the end of April. I harvested Zucchini, Radish, Chicoria, Tomatoes, Broccolini and one lonely Carciofo – enough for the family for another day. Please note the Dragon that, according to it’s 20 month old Master, is “Going to eat Nonno”. If that happens, I do not know who willl attend to the animals and garden.
I wish I had taken a “before ” photograph to prove that my (still green) tomatoes were looking great, and my zucchini were producing bountifully and ……We had massive winds and heavy rain this week and unfortunately our lovely sunny aspect also means that there is very little wind protection for my garden. Dunedin weather strikes the uninitiated gardener again! I have uprooted all the broken and drowned plants and will start anew next week. The things that did survive were the artichokes and the cardoons, even though the cardoon in the picture looks very sorry for itself, along with some lettuce, rhubarb and cavalo nero.
No damage to the chicken houses fortunately.
I will be cooking for the kids today. Fortunately the garden has delivered all the favorites – broccolini, small zucchini, one teeny artichoke ( next year will be bigger and better) and pumpkin flowers. Two flowers will be stuffed with ricotta for the grownups and the rest crispy fried in flour and water batter. Broccoli probably just steamed and Zucchini in a little butter and sage. Add leftover lamb and I should have a winner. Should, because one never knows with small kids, what they loved yesterday could horrify them today!
Pic 1: cardoon growing , Pic 2 harvested and lying on my kitchen table, Pic 3 Leaves and flowers removed and getting the woody strings off (put the stems in water with lemons squeezed in), Pic 4 boiling the cardoons with lemons
I harvested my first cardoon a few weeks ago my second cardoon yesterday. The first one was made in to a successful dish, but the second was a disaster, fairly bitter and very stringy even though I spent the better part of the morning peeling the stalks and boiling them. Boiling for an hour tenderises the stalks and draws out the bitterness, but in this case it was not quite successful. As you can see from the pictures, a lot of work goes into preparing the cardoon before one can make up the dish for the table. I covered the boiled and cleaned cardoon in bechamel and sprinkled cheese and bread crumbles over the top then baked it in the oven until bubbly and crispy on top. The taste was OK and the sauce and topping terrific but no one was very impressed and No second helpings! Someone wrote that one can only expect a good harvest after the 3rd year, saying that their cardoon grows to 2 meters high. Mine were planted this year and were about 1 and n half meter high when I cut them down. The first plant has regrown. We did boil the small buds like we do with artichokes and ate the soft parts of the leaves and the hearts and that was very nice.
I have to think about this vegetable and research it more – I am determined to make a successful dish when I harvest the third plant. Advice anyone ?
I got two more small artichokes from the plants I planted in heavy clay soil a few months ago. I have great expectations for good harvests next year. Because the artichokes were small and tender I decided to fry them. The last harvest I fried in a batter of only flour and water, as is traditionally used in Italy when frying vegetables, but today I dipped the boiled artichoke in egg and covered it in crumbs. I love fried artichoke, frying brings out a flavour so delicious and that lingers in the mouth, making one wonder if one should destroy it by taking another sip of wine. ( Now that is some flavour)
Fried Artichoke
2 young, fresh artichokes with as much stem left on as possible. Do not cut the stems off as everything is edible.
1 egg, whisked
1/2 cup unflavoured dried breadcrumbs (Home made)
olive oil or vegetable oil
salt and pepper to taste
Boil the artichokes in salted water until just tender – about 10 minutes should do it. Cut the artichokes in half and dip the pieces in the beaten egg. Add salt and pepper to the crumbs and liberally cover the pieces in crumbs. Use a smallish saucepan that fits all the pieces and pour in the oil up to about 1 cm deep, when the oil is hot, slip the artichoke pieces in and cook until golden on all sides .
Serve immediately with a slice of lemon if you have any – I had mine without anything .
Back Yard Farmer 