Friday, April 23, 2010

Life Is Good

DSCN2574The endless winter is close to ending.
There will be one or two more rainy days Monday and Tuesday, and fingers crossed, that will be the last.
And, on the upside, LOOK.
I planted two artichoke plants in the front yard about three years ago. The first two years, I got nuttin'. In fact, they died off in the hot summer sun, only to resurrect, Phoenix-style, once the rain started again. So maybe I DO like rain.
This year, for the first time, there are small fist-sized (my small fist) buds right on top, one on each plant. And there are a couple of babies nestled in the leaves, ready for their shot at the big time.
I don't know how successful this crop will be. One 'choke looks like it wants to open already, so they're probably not getting any larger. But I am enormously happy!
Growing your own artichokes? That's better than corn. That's better than celeriac. It might not be better than sardines, but my sardine crop has been a bust.

17 comments:

Kailyn said...

And this is why I still want a yard. Yum.

Zoomie said...

Wunderbar! I remember when you planted them and your subsequent disappointment - huzzah that you have buds at last! Be sure to post how they taste and what you plan to dip them in - you always come up with fun dipping stuff.

Chilebrown said...

We planted artichokes and they got overrun wiht ants. We let them flower and they were beautiful.

You know what "Life is Good"

Aspargus Festival tomorrow. We are going to see if Joey Chestnut will regain his title. We are also going to hang out with Martin Yan. If Yan can cook, so can Cookicrumb.

Ms Brown Mouse said...

I only eat chocolate sardines!
I'm very impressed with your growing a 'choke, wow. I'm inspired even, and WILL put in the 'sparrowgrass' knobs next spring!

Ms Brown Mouse said...

PS, STILL waiting for a pomegranate :(

cookiecrumb said...

Kailyn: I'd suggest a pot on the balcony, but this year my plants are wildly bushy. You'll get your yard someday!

Zoomie: Yes, I was crushed and puzzled, and then amused and now pleased. You're already ahead of me with dip for the chokes! I'm just trying to grow them.

Chilebrown: Ant infestation? Wow, that's rotten. I'll keep checking.
Isn't Zoomie going to the Asparagus Festival? Or maybe it's that she did last year. Or something. Have a lot of fun. Skip the asparagus ice cream.

Mouse: You have a crop of chocolate sardines? My, you ARE a good gardener.
(You said knobs.)
I hope you'll give artichokes a try. I'd probably not try pomegranates, though I did drink a cup of delicious pomegranate green tea today.

Ms Brown Mouse said...

the 'choke is just a thistle no? Shouldn't be too hard to grow a thistle ... the sardines come in tins I'm afraid :/

El said...

Those chokes probably won't get much bigger, CC, so hurry up and harvest! And they probably won't be as tender as the monsters you get locally. But they'll taste yummy, trust me.

Don't worry too much about their inability to get really big. This is the way they are: "it's not you, it's me" is what's happening.

Unknown said...

Nice 'choke you got there!

Greg said...

Wow!Artichokes in Marin? That is way coolio.

cookiecrumb said...

Mouse: Yes, just a thistle. And the deer won't touch it, so we can plant them in the unfenced front yard.

El: Eeee! I'll go right out there with my scimitar. Thanks for the tip. I'm so pleased you noticed.

Lannae: I'm all choked up.

Greg: Apparently not impossible. We got the plants at Sloat. Give it a try.

Hungry Dog said...

Awesome. Good for you! And cranky too, since there are two of them.

Anonymous said...

Ps: love your new masthead ;)

kudzu said...

Congratulations on your artichoke crop -- but I'm really writing to thank you for your banner. "Jaime Crow" -- brilliant.

cookiecrumb said...

Dog: We cut them off the plants yesterday on the advice of my farming mentor, El. Little, still, but the new babies are already getting big. Two teeny snacks!

Zia: I guess I'll leave it up for a while!

Kudzu: Hee! I can't claim 100% originality, but the Tweet I adapted it from said "Juan Crow." Groan.

Nancy Ewart said...

You inspired me - I got two from the farmer's market and am now going to eat them with home made garlic mayo! But - tell me - just how do you grow sardines in dirt? Is there some magical secret that you aren't telling us?

cookiecrumb said...

Nancy: Enjoy your artichokes. My favorite vegetable. Homemade garlic mayo, you are a goddess.
My failed sardine crop? No dirt; just a wading pool.
(I'm LYING.)