What is it, you ask? Why, it's a CARDOON!
We got this unlikely vegetable from the owner of Spring Ledge Farm, who gave it to Andy *for free* (foreshadowing here) when he tentatively asked what it tastes like. So home we went to do a little internet research and find out how to eat this Italian faux celery. Full disclosure: Andy and I both HATE celery. It's one of the first things we bonded over, aside from birds. We watched in horror as Adien, our own flesh and blood, happily noshed down some sticks of the stringy stuff at a party a few months ago. How is that genetically possible?
So anyway, cardoon does look like celery, but it's related to the artichoke, and it's a lot higher maintenance. You have to peel the stalks with a potato peeler and blanch peeled pieces for about a half hour in salted water before you can even get your teeth through it. We added ours to pasta with olive oil, garlic and a ton of other veggies we were positive we liked. And it tastes like... artichoke with the consistency of the pithy end of a celery stalk. Not too great. Turns out the owner of Spring Ledge did tell Andy that Italians only eat it "when there's nothing else left."
Pieces of cardoon peeled & ready for the blanching pot
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