Sunday, April 18, 2010

First Fruits

For some folks, it's asparagus. For me, it's artichokes that kick off the real new year's growing season. Tonight, with butter and garlic.

16 comments:

Ribbit said...

MMMMMM....Mom only made those two or three times growing up. I remember them being such a treat when she would make them.

Annie*s Granny said...

I have never eaten, nor grown, an artichoke. Am I missing out on one of life's real pleasures?

Stefaneener said...

Ribbit, we used to eat them routinely. My mom would go to more trouble than I in preparing, but man, were they good.

Granny, yes. My in-laws don't get it but it's like nothing else. They have that "umami" taste for me.

Jan said...

We really must try them! We have a few plants of our own but they haven't produced anything yet due to being moved, being ploughed up by mistake.......... etc. So will have to buy some from the market.

chaiselongue said...

Oh that's wonderful! Our artichoke plants were badly hit by very cold weather last month and have only just started to grow again, so I don't think we'll have artichokes in April as we usually do. I'd find it very hard to choose between asparagus and artichokes because I love both so much .... luckily I don't have to!

Heiko said...

My first veg is broad beans. I have sowed some artichokes last year, which haven't started producing yet, but according to the seed package they should be ready to harvest as early as January. We'll see if that's going to be the case

Heiko said...

Oh and for excellent ideas what to do with artichokes, check out this blog: http://theartichokeblog.com/

Just Jenn said...

Oh wonderful!!

Jeff Vandiver said...

I'm with granny - never tried it, and know absolutely nothing about it.

Kalena Michele said...

Artichokes are one plant I had to get used to recently. A local bar here sells fried artichokes and they are DELISH. Then I started getting salads with them in it. Never tried to grow one. Do they like cool weather?

kitsapFG said...

I adore artichokes but never grow them. I should do something about that! Yours are gorgeous - when is supper?!

Christina said...

Oh, artichokes, how I love thee. How also do the earwigs love thee. Every artichoke seedling I've put in my garden gets swallowed alive by earwigs. What is your secret?

I've put in 12 seedlings this year--hopefully I'll win through a numbers game.

michelle said...

Mmmm, artichokes! I put artichokes on pizza the other night, it also had spring garlic and pancetta, no tomato sauce. Good stuff. I don't grow my own yet, I have to find a spot where neither the gophers nor the dear will destroy them.

michelle said...

Make that deer, I can't spell when I'm sleep deprived.

Stefaneener said...

Jan, they'll recover. Enjoy!

Chaiselongue, they're both wonderful spring signals, I agree.

Heiko, thanks for the link!

Jenn, nice to see you!

EG, I have at least TRIED okra.

Kalena Michele, they grow best here in coastal areas, so probably. I know that Eliot Coleman writes about growing them in Maine.

kitsapFG, you're welcome any time.

Christina, we put them out as very large transplants, like 12" tall. No earwig could get 'em then. Aphids, well, that's their nemesis here.

Michelle, you are a dear. A special artichoke cage? Under AND over?

Just Jenn said...

What are you doing for the aphids? Our infestation was so bad last year we didn't get to eat a single one. Constant spraying with soapy water didn't work and there were loads of lady bugs but they couldn't eat them all! =(