on soil preparation, mulching, composting, and pests and diseases, see Appendixes A and B (pages 92 and 98).
The varieties recommended in each entry are either actual French varieties or are ones similar to those grown in France and have been selected for their flavor and availability. As France borders Italy, there is much crossover between southern French and Italian cuisines, so you will find a number of Italian varieties listed. Gourmet Gardener seed company carries a large number of French seeds. For those of you who become completely smitten with French varieties, you can order seeds from an even larger selection directly from Graines Baumaux in France. See Resources (page 104).
Artichokes
ARTICHOKES, GLOBE
(artichauts) Cynara scolymus
Artichokes are popular in France. There are many varieties, including a purple one from Provence, which when young and tender is eaten raw as a crudité. Artichokes are rich and sweet-flavored with a meaty texture, and the flavors stimulate salivation, making the artichoke a particularly good first course, as it seems to wake up the taste buds.
The artichoke is a giant thistle whose flower buds are deliciously edible when cooked. Artichokes are perennials, and in the garden they have a dramatic fountain shape. Under average conditions they grow to about 4 feet tall and spread just as wide. When not picked for eating, the buds develop into massive blue-purple thistles that are extremely showy.
How to grow: Six plants should be ample for the average family. Artichoke plants prefer cool, moist summers and mild winters but grow in summer heat if the soil is kept continually moist. Below 28°F they need winter protection, for example, an overturned basket filled with leaves or straw and placed above the roots. In coldest-winter areas artichokes are usually not successful unless the roots are brought inside during the winter and kept moist and cool. In places with hot, early summers the artichoke buds open too soon and are tough. Artichokes prefer full sun in cool-summer areas and partial shade in hot-summer climates.
Start plants when they're offered in nurseries in the spring. You may start artichokes from seed indoors, but this is a more time-consuming approach. When planting from seed, sow seeds indoors eight weeks before your last spring frost date, about ¼ inch deep and ¼ inch apart. Transplant the seedlings to the garden when they're six to eight weeks old. (They need at least 250 hours of temperatures under 50°F to induce budding.) Protect them from frost.
Artichokes require rich, constantly moist but well-drained soil with plenty of organic matter. They respond well to deep mulches, compost, and manure. Add extra nitrogen halfway through the growing season and after the harvest. The plants need to be dug up and thinned out every three or four years.
Aphids, earwigs, and snails are sometimes a problem. Botrytis, a fungus disease, can be a serious problem but is not common. It forms gray mold on leaves in warm, muggy summers. Destroy affected plants.
When harvesting, cut off the young artichoke bud, about 4 inches below the bud, before it starts to open. The younger the bud, the more tender it is and the more of it is edible.
Varieties
'Imperial Star': 90 to 100 days from transplants, thornless, sweet flavor, meaty hearts and almost chokeless, easiest to grow from seed and harvest the first season
'Violetto': Italian variety that produces purple artichokes, beautiful in the garden, very small buds often eaten whole, cooking for more than two minutes turns them green
How to prepare: The bud is most often served whole. Young, fresh artichokes can be eaten without removing the choke (fuzzy, inedible center). But you must remove the choke from mature artichokes. To prepare an artichoke, cut the top inch off to remove any thorns and the inedible part of the "leaves." Immediately rub the cut edges with lemon juice to avoid discoloration. Then peel back the outside layer of leaves with your hand. (You can eat the young, tender artichokes raw, by thinly slicing the heart and serving it drizzled with lemon juice, olive oil, and salt.) Steam or boil the artichokes until a knife can be inserted easily into the bottom of the choke. The artichoke is now ready to serve as is or as an edible container for a sauce or seafood; or only the hearts may be eaten. When eating a whole artichoke bud, pull off the outside leaves and use your teeth to scrape out the flesh. The hearts are used as an hors d'oeuvre or as an addition to salads or casseroles. Whole artichokes or artichoke hearts are popular served warm with hollandaise sauce or lemon butter, or cold with a vinaigrette or mayonnaise.
The French have taken artichokes to culinary heights that include pairing them with asparagus, fresh peas, sorrel, and even truffles and foie gras. The hearts are sometimes pureed; other times they're served with a sauce or fried. A typical dish would be artichoke hearts stuffed duxelles (a mixture of finely chopped mushrooms) and covered with béchamel sauce. In southern France two appetizers of note use artichoke hearts. In one the heart is served cold with olive oil, garlic, and herbs. The other involves the immature purple artichoke served raw: the slightly bitter bud is cut into quarters, the stem end is dipped in salt, and the dish is accompanied by bread and sweet butter.
ASPARAGUS
(asperges) Asparagus officinalis
Asparagus are a passion in France. The French enjoy both green and purple varieties and have taken their preparation to a high art by blanching some of the green varieties in the ground to get pristine, fat white spears.
Asparagus is an herbaceous perennial, dormant in winter, whose edible spears show themselves early, heralding an end to winter. The shoots that are not cut for eating develop into airy, ferny foliage plants 3 to 5 feet high.
Asparagus, with nasturtiums in the foreground
Asparagus
How to grow: Asparagus grows in most climates except for the very coldest and in hot humid areas.
Asparagus plants need full sun. Although you can start them from seed, only do so when you want varieties not available as crowns, as planting year-old rooted crowns (the base of the plant plus the roots) produces a crop a year faster. A family of four needs thirty to forty plants. Asparagus needs a deep organic soil, with a pH of 6.5 to 7. Excellent drainage is critical.
In the early spring, spade the soil and turn it over. It is imperative to remove perennial weeds. For thirty to forty plants, spade up the area as follows: dig two trenches 6 to 8 inches deep (10 to 12 inches in coldest areas), 12 inches wide, about 20 feet long, and 3 to 4 feet apart. Amend the soil in the trenches with compost or aged manure and 4 pounds of bonemeal or rock phosphate worked 8 inches into the soil. Then place the crowns in the bottom, 15 inches apart, with their roots well spread out. Cover them with 2 to 3 inches of soil. As the shoots emerge, continue to fill the trench with soil.
Use organic mulches 4 to 6 inches deep to provide nutrients, help control weeds, and conserve moisture. In normal soil, annual applications of compost or modest amounts of chicken manure are all that is needed to renew the bed. After the first season only moderate watering is needed during
