Cardoon Bianco Avorio has light green, finely incised leaves with thick, white to light green stems and thick, fleshy, white to light green leaf veins. This species, which is related to the Artichoke, is smaller than the Bianco Gigante di Romagna cardoon. Cardoon originates from the Mediterranean region. It is commonly eaten here, just like the artichoke. Cardoon can withstand heat and drought very well. It is a perennial that can withstand cold reasonably well, but not really frost. The leaves are hairy and deeply incised. Both leaves and stems can be eaten. The taste is also similar. Harvest as young as possible for a slightly sweet, slightly bitter taste. Cardoon stems are peeled and then cut into pieces and boiled for a long time. Cardoons are a forgotten vegetable, just like salsify, turnips and artichokes.
Cardoon is very versatile and healthy. It contains, among others, the vitamins: A, B1, B2, B3, B6, B11, C and K. And the minerals: calcium, phosphorus, iron, potassium, copper, magnesium,manganese, sodium and zinc. And protein, fibre and few calories. Cardoon is also very versatile, you can boil it, steam it, stew it, fry it, use it in oven dishes, wok it, eat it raw and add it to soups and other dishes. Cardoon is very tasty in combination with: tomato puree, olive oil, chives, garlic, parsley, minced meat, beef, pork, chicken, rice, cheese, coriander, lemon, cream, milk, butter, flour, paprika, thyme, eggs, crème fraîche, bulgur, cinnamon, chilli powder, ginger, lamb and ras-el-hanout. And with other vegetables such as: tomatoes, aubergines, potatoes, onion, chickpeas, broccoli, green beans, spinach, mangetout, carrots and cauliflower. Not hardy perennial. Height: 100 - 150 cm.
Indoor sowing: end of March - half May
Outdoor sowing: half May - June
Germination: 1 - 2 weeks
Germination temp.: 15 - 20 °C
Sowing depth: 2 - 3 cm
Plant distance: 1 meter
Plant position: sunny and sheltered
Harvest period: half September - end of October
Sow indoors in seperate pots from the end of March. Sow approx. 3 seeds in 1 pot filled with moist potting soil approx. 2 - 3 cm deep. Cover the seeds with a thick layer of soil and keep moist. Cardoon is a dark germinator. Put the pots away in a warm room or a propagator. Thin the seedlings to 1 strongest per pot, when they're large enough to handle. Transplant the seedlings to a very warm and sheltered plot approx. 1 meter apart, in the middle of May, when there's no longer any risks of night frosts. Give them free draining soil, deeply loosened soil and a lot of nitrogen in the soil. Keep moist and weedfree.
Sow outdoors on a very sunny plot with some shelter and free draining soil, from the middle of May, when there's no longer any risks of night frosts. Give them free draining soil, deeply loosened soil and a lot of nitrogen in the soil. Keep moist and weedfree. Keep the seedlings approx. 1 meter apart. Thin the seedlings to 1 meter apart when the seedlings are approx. 15 cm in size.
Harvest the cardoon from the middle of September. Cover the plants with some black plastic approx. 2 - 3 weeks before the harvest to bleach the plants. Harvest the flower heads, the fleshy stalk and the veins of the leaves. Blanche them shortly. The flavour is slightly sweet and bitter. Harvest young for a sweeter flavour. Eat cardoon as fresh as possible.