Honeyed Cardoons with Pine Nuts and Thyme

Susan Ball, Dakota County Master Gardener Intern

If you have read Susan Ball’s article on Cardoons and want to try a recipe, we have provided one for you. Cardoons are just starting to come into season. They are available at farmers markets and/or specialty grocery stores. With their leaves cut off they look like giant stalks of celery.

Honeyed Cardoons with Pine Nuts and Thyme

COURSE: side dish

CUISINE: Italian

SERVINGS: 4 people

AUTHOR: Hank Shaw

PREP TIME: 20 minutes

COOK TIME: 1 hour

TOTAL TIME: 1 hour, 20 minutes

Ingredients:

1 medium onion
1/2-pound cardoons
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup dry sherry, or white wine
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon fresh thyme. (Author strongly recommends using fresh thyme)
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
Salt and black pepper

Instructions:

Trim the cardoons and boil them for 30 to 40 minutes in salty water with the juice of 2 lemons thrown in. This can be done up to a day ahead.
Slice the cardoons into 1/2-inch pieces. Slice the onion into half-moons. Toast the pine nuts — watch them, as pine nuts go from toasted to burnt in a heartbeat.
Heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Sauté the onions with some salt until just beginning to brown on the edges. Add some salt. Add in the cardoons and stir to combine. Let this cook for a minute or two.
Add the dry sherry. If you don’t have dry sherry, use a dry white wine. Turn the heat up to high and boil it furiously. Add the honey and stir to combine. Add the pine nuts. Let this boil down to a glaze. Turn off the heat and toss in the thyme and add some fresh ground black pepper. Toss well to combine and serve at once.

NUTRITION

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Photo Credits: www.pinterest.com (1)