Cardoons

This dramatic vegetable resembles giant, prehistoric, jagged stalks of celery, but it tastes like artichokes. In Italian, cardoons are known as cardi and also sometimes as gobbi, a rather unfortunate name that means “hunchback,” a reference to the curved nature of the stalks. When shopping for cardoons, buy the largest, tightest, crispiest bunch. You will probably have to discard some of the outer ribs. If the bunch weighs about 3 pounds, your yield, after trimming, will be about 1½ pounds of edible stalks. Remove the prickly leaves, then peel each stalk with a vegetable peeler or a knife, removing the fibrous, stringy outer layer. Cut the peeled stalks into 2- or 3-inch pieces and immediately put the pieces into a bowl of water to which lemon juice has been added. Have a cut lemon on hand, too, because when you handle the cardoons, just as when you work with lots of artichokes, your fingers can become stained black. Cook the cardoon pieces in water that has been liberally seasoned with salt, lemon juice, and a few tablespoons of flour. I like to add at least ½ cup olive oil to the water as well, which is something the Italians do when they cook artichokes to ensure that the vegetable develops a creamy texture. Simmer the cardoons until they are tender, 45 to 60 minutes. (If the stalks were very large, the pieces may take longer to cook.) Drain the cardoons and use them in gratins and vegetable stews.