How to Make Sautéed Cardoon (“What the Heck is Cardoon?”)

Erik — Sun, 28 Aug 2011 16:02:05 +0000

Two weeks ago, our friends at Northshire Farm were selling an odd looking plant that looked like some form of celery. They assured us it was better than that. We bought some. They posted two recipes for it, and we tried one of them. They were right!

Cardoon is actually in the artichoke family and has a similar savory character. Apparently Mario Batali loves it as an ingredient and says it has a “very sexy flavor”. The sauté recipe that Northshire linked to has an amazing richness of flavor that really highlights the uniqueness of the cardoon. Like artichoke, it turns a kind of sickly yellow-green, but ignore that and just eat it. If you can find cardoon, grab it and give this recipe a shot!

Cardoon is fibrous and needs to be boiled to be edible. This recipe sounds like a lot of work / time because of the 45-minute boil, but really it’s 5 minutes of work, then a 45 minute wait, and then less than 10 minutes of work.

Sautéed Cardoon with Thyme and Pine Nuts

Makes 4 servings

Amount	Ingredient	Preparation	Where we bought it (* Union Sq. Greenmarket)
0.5 lbs	Cardoon (the amount pictured came to exactly 0.5 lbs )	Trimmed	Northshire Farm *
1	Yellow or white onion	Halved and thinly sliced	S&SO *
2 TBsp	Honey		Northshire Farm *
1 TBsp	Fresh thyme	De-stalked	Keith’s Farm *
1	Lemon
2 TBsp	Sherry
0.25 cup	Pine nutes	Toasted
2 TBsp	Olive oil

Directions

Add a large pinch of salt and the juice of one lemon to a large pot of water and put it on high heat to bring to a boil. I just cut the lemon in half and squeezed the juice out with my hands right over the pot. You’ll toss the water out later so it isn’t a big deal if you get a few lemon seeds in it.

Trim the ugly ends off the cardoon and then cut it into pieces small enough so that it all fits comfortably in the pot.
Once the water is boiling, add the cardoon, turn down the hear and let it simmer for 45 minutes. While it’s simmering, slice the onion. Next, toast the pine nuts on a baking sheet in the oven at 400 degrees for 10-15 minutes, until they look and taste a bit toasted, but not burned. Check on them frequently.

When its long simmer is done, remove the cardoon and cut it into half-inch pieces.
Heat the oil in a pan or skillet on medium-high and add the onion. Sauté until they begin to caramelize.
Turn the heat down to medium and add the cardoon and sauté for about two minutes. Add the sherry and reduce until most of it is evaporated. Add the honey and thoroughly mix it in.
Add the pine nuts and cook for another minute. Turn off the heat and season with salt and pepper, and add the thyme (leaves removed from the stalk).

How to Make a Spinach Salad with Mushrooms and Pine Nuts

Erik — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 16:00:09 +0000

This recipe is actually from a few weeks ago, just as spinach was coming back into season full-swing. It fell through the cracks, but it’s still worth posting because everything is still available. It’s a salad, but since it requires sautéing some items, it’s a bit more involved than most salads.

Spinach Salad with Mushrooms, Pine Nuts, and Balsamic Vinegar

Makes 2-4 servings

Amount	Ingredient	Preparation	Where we bought it (* Union Sq. Greenmarket)
2 bunches	Spinach	Washed, large stems removed, torn into chunks	Norwich Meadows Farm *
0.25 lbs	Shitake mushrooms	Thinly sliced, stems removed	Bulich Mushroom Farm *
0.25 lbs	Crimini mushrooms	Thinly sliced, stems removed	Bulich Mushroom Farm *
1	Small red onion	Peeled, halved, and thinly sliced	Paffenroth Gardens
2 cloves	Garlic	Minced	Keith’s Farm *
0.25 cup	Pine nuts	Toasted
2 TBps	Kalamta olives	Pitted and choped
2 TBsp	Capers	Drained
2 TBsp	Lemon juice	Fresh, if possible
1 TBsp	Balsamic vinegar		The Brooklyn Kitchen, bulk section
3 TBsp	Extra virgin olive oil		The Brooklyn Kitchen, bulk section
To taste	Kosher salt
To taste	Black pepper	Freshly ground

Directions

Prep all the ingredients except for the spinach.
Heat 2 TBsp of the olive oil over medium-high heat, then add the mushrooms and sauté for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Reduce the heat to medium and add the garclic, olives, capers, lemon juice, and vinegar, and let it cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
While the mushrooms are cooking, tear the spinach into pieces. In a large bowl, toss it with the red onion and remaining 1 TBsp of olive oil. Add the desired amount of salt and pepper to taste.
Add the mushroom sauté to the spinach and toss it again until well mixed. Plate and top with toasted pine nuets.

EatLocal365 » pine nuts

How to Make Sautéed Cardoon (“What the Heck is Cardoon?”)

How to Make a Spinach Salad with Mushrooms and Pine Nuts