Very early artichoke seed Imperial Star

perennialsummer

The approximately one meter tall perennial artichoke is a real Mediterranean delicacy to every gourmet. The edible head with its fine aniseed-like taste is, in fact, the basket-shaped inflorescence of the plant. It can be cut from early summer, when it is swollen, firm and still completely closed. All heads that are not harvested will open up and become large purple flowers that are much appreciated by bees. Imperial Star is a strong-growing, improved Golden Globe variety with dark green leaves and broad white ribs. With very early propagation it is possible to harvest still in the first year. Natural location: The Artichoke came originally from the Mediterranean, where it has already been cultivated since the 1st century. In the kitchen: Place the artichoke heads in saltwater for about 30 minutes to flood out any possible insects. Cut off the sharp tips of the outer leaves and cook the heads 20 to 40 minutes, depending on the size. After that, the scales can easily be removed to eat the plant tissue at the base of the scale. However, the most delicate part of an artichoke is the so-called heart that goes well with garlic mayonnaise (aioli) or lemon-herb vinaigrette.