Topic: Has anyone grown couve tronchuda?

[supersprout]

I was tempted by the description of couve tronchuda in a seed catalogue, but Beverley Nichols was very disparaging about it. Has anyone grown it, and was it worthwhile?

[Robert_Brenchley]

What is it?

[Curryandchips]

Well the name drove me straight to Google, out of curiosity. The answer to your question is no, and I have never come across it before, although I have led a sheltered existence  :D

For the curious ...

http://www.edenseeds.com.au/content/seeditem.asp?id=86

[katynewbie]

It featured in the "Victorian Kitchen Garden" programme. Its a HUGE cabbage...not grown much anymore, but used to be great for the hungry gap when there were not so many varieties to choose from.

Where to get it? Sorry, no idea ???

[supersprout]

Sorry Robert, that was a bit on the terse side wasn't it? :-[ It's an heirloom cabbage :D

Couve Tronchuda (Portuguese Kale, sea-kale cabbage, Galician cabbage, braganza)

CT is non-hearting form of cabbage with large green leaves and prominent white midribs that are available to eat mainly in the autumn. Portuguese restaurants seek it out for their caldo verde.

It's supposed to be sweeter and more tender than most cabbages and kales. Most commonly eaten as a vegetable, though the younger and more tender leaves can be added to salads. It has thick, fleshy white ribs, like Swiss chard, which can be braised and eaten too 'like seakale'. And it can crop all winter.

Seed catalogue descriptions:

Large thick tender leaves have succulent stems and veins. Couve never gets the strong mustard flavor that true cabbages sometimes do. It is essential for caldo verde. It can be cooked like a cabbage and the culture is similar. It should be planted in early spring for late Autumn harvests.

An excellent heat tolerant cabbage. In Portugal the leaves are shredded to make delicious "caldo verde" soup. The hearts and young centres are particularly delicate and agreeably flavoured. Constant picking encourages leaf production, loved by poultry. Sow after frost, also autumn in warmer areas.

An oddball heirloom green.  It is a wild, headless cabbage variety that has been cultivated since the days of ancient Rome. Some call it a gourmet collard. The Portuguese are credited with bringing it to the New World in the madeira trade.



It sounds delicious and versatile, but I would like to hear from anyone who's tried it!

It featured in the "Victorian Kitchen Garden" programme.

Thanks Katy, any excuse to run those DVDs again ;D

[plot51A]

Never tried it, never heard of it till this thread - but sounds interesting, I'm game if you are!

[Robert_Brenchley]

That explains how they can describe it as 'Possibly the most ancient of today's vegetables; cultivated for over 4000 years'. Modern hearting cabbages are definitely not ancient!

[supersprout]

I'm game if you are!

Right periwinkle, I'm gonna get a pack from Chiltern Seeds, what's a couple of squid for so much excitement. Anyone else want to share the fun? Just pm me your addy 8)

[CityChick]

Ooooo - I like the sound of that!  Can I join in too please :)

[Hyacinth]

Aptly named 'Braganza' isn't it? ;D

Oh! for a lottie rather than a garden plottie, and room to try!...presumably you can use them to make those rice'n'stuff parcels..

[flowerofshona]

Sounds like fun :) like to try new things its the spice of life  ;D

[Multiveg]

Thinking of more ancient veggie types, have toyed with the idea of buying skirret seeds from the organic gardening catalogue.
There is a monastery garden in the south of France that grows the ancient stuff. I read about it in a book. Can't think of name of place but think I have mentioned it on A4A before.

[supersprout]

have toyed with the idea of buying skirret seeds

Chiltern were selling these too but I was strong!

There is a monastery garden in the south of France that grows the ancient stuff. I read about it in a book

Was it this chap?
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0385490399/thekitchenlinkA/102-1000287-6111366
'Twelve months of monastery soups', gruelling :D

[Multiveg]

....

There is a monastery garden in the south of France that grows the ancient stuff. I read about it in a book

Was it this chap?
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0385490399/thekitchenlinkA/102-1000287-6111366
'Twelve months of monastery soups', gruelling :D

No, it was from this book: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1890132276/sr=1-1/qid=1144784684/ref=sr_1_1/102-5622909-4474511?%5Fencoding=UTF8&s=books - The authors travelled to France to have a look at what grew at the same latitude as them in the US.

[supersprout]

Oh, this book is another of my bibles multiveg! Will have a look to see if Couve is in there. Thank you!

[dandelion]

It's been a week of unusual vegetables: Couve tronchuda, skirret, agretti.  I hadn't heard of any of these until recently. Mind you, a Portuguese friend of mine has giant cabbages (4-5 ft tall) in her garden, so that must be the one! Will have to ask her for some seed now  8)!

[supersprout]

Sounds possible doesn't it dandelion? If it IS the very 5 ft tall 4,000 year old cabbage (as seen in caldo verde), and your friend is prepared to supply seed from Portugal, I would love to try it too. Pretty please?
:P :D

[MutantHobbit]

Glad I'm not the only one growing Couve Tronchuda this year.  ;D  It's my first year growing it.  I was so intrigued by Harry Dobson showing it on Victorian Kitchen Garden, that I thought I'd try growing it.  I found a description of it in Shewell-Coopers ABC of Vegetable Gardening, along with how to grow it.   I then bought the seeds 2 weeks ago from Chiltern Seeds, along with Skirret, Salsify, and Chopsuey Greens. 

I love the old fashioned nature of getting stuff from Chiltern. It's not in everyone's taste but there's no growing instructions, and the seeds are loose in the envelope, not in foil packets.  Talking of old fashioned veg, I've also bought Asparagus Peas and Hamburg Parsley from The Organic Gardening Catalogue, has anyone ever grown these?  Can't wait to get sowing! ;D ;D ;D

[supersprout]

I love the old fashioned nature of getting stuff from Chiltern. It's not in everyone's taste but there's no growing instructions, and the seeds are loose in the envelope, not in foil packets. 

Hi hobbit, yes I love this too. Makes you concentrate more when sowing, cos you have to refer to your Notes.

Hope you don't mind nomination for the resident expert on Couve T (on the grounds that you got the seeds first  :D). Four other A4a peeps will be trying seeds from my Chiltern pack too - when will you sow? I am growing H Parsley (first time) this year as someone gave me a swopsie, but it may take a while to germinate. It was sown outdoors on 28 March, not a peep yet. I thought I would keep a few to force in winter for the parsley leaves. Thanks Mr Shewell-Cooper, don't you just love his old photos?

[MutantHobbit]

I was waiting for the soil to warm up a bit, which it has done now.  Just got to water the beds I've prepared today and station sow them all tomorrow. 

I was intending to do the sowing and planting yesterday during the glorious sunshine, but someone had broken into my shed, damaging the door in the process.  So I had to waste time going back home to get timber, tools and calm down, tidy up in the shed and then repair the door. >:(  I lost two and a half hours doing that, before I could start work on the plots. :( 

Still, at least they didn't take much and they didn't burn the shed down, eh. ;)