Topic: A lot of faffing about for nothing

[ACE]

Thought I would try a globe artichoke today, good job I'm on a diet because the tiny bit of taste I got was not really worth the effort. I think I will let all the others on the plants just flower and look pretty, Mind you all I got was the  leaf scrapings, the 'choke' was gobbled up before it left the kitchen.

[BarriedaleNick]

I think I lack the genes or whatnot to taste them as to me they are virtually tasteless - they sure are purdy but they take up loads of space

[johhnyco15]

when i was younger and singing for my supper in poros greece we used to have them regular raw it was a done thing never had them cooked untill i was back here the taste was not the same memories bless i loved my 2years as an entertainer in the hotel it was  fantastic the artichokes were also great along with the raki and the well thats enough of that

[Deb P]

I don't like the taste of artichokes or asparagus......but I grew the violette artichoke from seed for its flowers, do the same with cardoons too as I like the look of them!

[Duke Ellington]

I gave up on mine too. I grew them at the allotment but didnt love them enough to give them a permanent spot. I might grow a couple at home for the flower. I hate asparagus too.

[Jeannine]

I think you need the ambience to appreciate them

String quartet in the back ground, waiter with a towel on his arm, delicately displayed  on a hand painted china plate  with a artistically placed dribble of  Hollandaise sauce. The plate  is of course sitting on a gilded charger,  and you are in tux and or gown eating it with a fine silver special fork........

Now I will take my tongue out of my cheek and pop a bit more ketchup on my chips.

XX Jeannine

[Obelixx]

I find they take a couple of seasons to get big enough to get a crop and take up loads of space for what you get and, chances are, they'll get frozen to death anyway and not make it to a size that produces edible heads.

We love green asparagus, but not white, and have the same problem with frosts killing the plants.    I do have some PSB that's survived this mild winter though and that's going to be delish.

[ACE]

I think you need the ambience to appreciate them

String quartet in the back ground, waiter with a towel on his arm, delicately displayed  on a hand painted china plate  with a artistically placed dribble of  Hollandaise sauce. The plate  is of course sitting on a gilded charger,  and you are in tux and or gown eating it with a fine silver special fork........

Ah! I can see where we went wrong, the music was a tuneless wailing, that she does not even know the name of, it was served by somebody in tracky bottoms with a dish cloth draped over her shoulder, a wooden chopping board served as a platter and my false teeth scraped the leaves clean of any morsel whilst dressed in my tatty allotment clothes. Will try to do better if there is ever a next time.

[Jeannine]

Well there you go Ace, shame on you you should know better, you really do have to give the veggies what they need right. Otherwise they simply don't get the way they should. next time you make sure that "her in the house" puts on her net frock and shiver shoes and for you at least wash your wellies.. And if you don't have the gilded charger plate...don't use the dustbin lid!!

XX Jeannine

[Digeroo]

Had some really nice deep fried articokes in Italy. 

I have to say I enjoy the flowers and I love seeing the bees swimming around in them. 

Can you eat the stem like a cardoon.

[Vinlander]

There's a wonderful antipasti made from whole baby artichokes cooked slowly in oil so you can eat them whole - fantastic - also fantastically expensive to buy in their jar of oil from the italian deli.

Not difficult to make - unless you grow the spiny-edged buds (a LOT of work with tiny scissors) - you need to make sure you grow the type with blunt edges - they usually have a notch at the end. I was SOOO annoyed when I grew some plants from seed (the website showed notched buds) and 2 years later I got spiny buds.

One problem with bottling them - because there's so little acid in the jar, you are at risk of encouraging botulism unless you simmer them for several hours - they still taste great. If you don't mind putting a bit of sharpness in the jar they are much quicker (and you can choose how soft you want them) - but its still best to look this kind of stuff up on a bottling website.

Cheers.

[Crystalmoon]

I used to grow Globe Artichokes but agree that they are just not worth the effort. Lovely flowers but so fiddly to prepare to eat. Mine always used to attract ants in thousands, I spent many hours watching the ants farming aphids on the artichokes 

[sparrow]

I love globe artichokes - I've got 2 plants which give me 14-16 artichokes per season. It might not be many but I like them enough to give them room. The ones in Italy do taste better, but unfortunately we can't ship more sun over here! (I wish!)

[markfield rover]

Having just potted on a dozen I thought Perhaps it is only me ... But I do like them .

[Vinlander]

I used to grow Globe Artichokes but agree that they are just not worth the effort. Lovely flowers but so fiddly to prepare to eat. Mine always used to attract ants in thousands, I spent many hours watching the ants farming aphids on the artichokes 

Two interesting points!

a) I had a workmate who advocated snacking on pumpkin seeds- with hulls on - as a way of losing weight.

Now I'd finally been given a reason why the "pumpkin seeds" in the shops were so small (more like courgette seeds)!

And i) why people might buy them when hulled seeds are readily available (although the flavour isn't as good) and why ii) full size pumpkin seeds with hulls aren't widely available though they taste amazing.

Anyway, apparently the tiny little buggers keep your hands busy while you are relaxing (watching TV, playing poker etc.) so you use more calories.

Personally I'd much rather eat globe artichokes on the same basis! (an artichoke poker party also sounds like a good way to drink less beer).

Maybe I should go back to eating cardoon heads too - now that's a really fiddly job.

b) I have noticed the ants - but reading it triggered the idea (one I'd never had by merely watching them) that their favourite food might be an ideal place to give them the ant-killer syrup that they take back to the nest (apparently it kills the queen because the borax in it accumulates mainly in her).

Easy to make too - and (from Lawrence D Hills) icing sugar and borax works just as well as a powder because the ants can't be bothered separating crystals that are the same size...