Tuesday, April 10, 2012

Wild Cardoon

Carduus nutans
I spent some time foraging at Madroño Ranch  near Medina, Texas last week in preparation for an upcoming class. I was thrilled to discover a field full of wild cardoons. Related to artichokes and commonly called musk thistles, the wild cardoon's stem and flower bud can be peeled and eaten raw or cooked. The leaves are also edible but should be trimmed to remove the nasty spines.
Nibbling peeled Carduus stem

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