Grow, harvest & cook | artichokes

The Mediterranean vegetable that every gardener needs

Artichokes (along with fennel) are perhaps one of the toughest and most rewarding plants to add to your garden. They are a member of the daisy family (Asteraceae), they are closely related to thistles and hail from the Mediterranean, which explains why they do so terribly well in places like Perth, with mild winters and plentiful sunshine.

Artichokes are one of those edible plants that do not receive NEARLY as much attention as they deserve. Maybe because they are so prickly and weird looking, a lot of people have never tried to cook with them. This is such a shame - they are absolutely delicious! 

In fact, large proportions of my childhood were spent slowly peeling the leaves off freshly boiled artichokes, dipping them in the most garlicky vinaigrette known to man and ripping off the soft, fleshy parts with my teeth. You eat them like this, all the way from the outside in, until you reach the holy grail at the centre: the heart. 

Artichoke hearts have the texture of.. .something in between a potato and a raw zucchini. They have a flavour that is hard to describe, and they are truly wonderful drowned in vinaigrette (or roasted with crushed garlic and lemon peel). Hands down the tastiest flower bud you’ll ever eat (like broccoli, the culinary part of the artichoke is the unopened flower bud!). 

Anyway, I digress. Before you try eating them I guess you’ll have to grow them! Here’s how. 

---

This growing guide is only available to members of the Wild Garden club. Want to join the club? Click the button below and upgrade your subscription to ‘Wild Garden Club member’ to get instant access to the full archive of recipes, videos and garden guides.