(It will get there)
We are adding several new plants to our site but Cardoons are an unusual vegetable in Australia so they deserve some introduction.
A close relative of the artichoke, Cardoons also produce edible flower buds but they are cultivated primarily for their edible stems. These vigorous perennial’s leaves can grow two meters long and are often spiny, but the white giant is a relatively spineless variety.
Like celery, the plant is often ‘blanched’ by excluding sunlight from the base of the stalks, either with soil or by wrapping the base of the plant in cardboard, to achieve a milder flavour and more tender texture. In a commercial setting, it is most commonly grown as an annual with the whole plant being blanched and then harvested, but it can be grown as a perennial and the stalks either harvested unblanched, or the whole plant can be blanched and then only the outer stalks can be harvested. Stalks must be cooked and there are a variety of ways to prepare this extremely productive vegetable.
Cardoons are available on our website at https://aussiesoilblocks.com/ and we will have them with us tomorrow morning at the Belmont Rotamart along with our other new arrivals.