Coat’ (tricolor): 70 days; a spectacular tricolor variety from India with red, cream, and green leaves
‘Merah’: 75-80 days; leaf-type with crinkled green and red leaves
How to prepare: In theory, because the red pigments in amaranths are betacyanin like red beets, the color should be stable when cooked, but I find the red amaranth leaves I’ve cooked often turn pale and grayish. Obviously there is more to learn about amaranth colors. To enjoy red amaranth leaves I select young, tender leaves from the leaf-types and use them raw in salads or as a spectacular garnish. I cook the green varieties as I would spinach. The leaves are very nutritious and high in calcium and iron.
Amaranth grain has a mild and nutty flavor, is high in protein, and contains essential amino acids. It can be cooked and eaten alone or mixed with other ingredients. It contains no gluten so must be combined with wheat flour to make risen breads. The seed can be popped like popcorn; stir ½ cup of seeds in a hot frying pan for about 30 seconds or until popped. Mix with honey to create a traditional confection from Mexico.
ARTICHOKES, PURPLE
Cynara scolymus
‘Violetta’ artichoke
The artichoke is a giant thistle whose flower buds, when cooked, are deliciously edible. The plant is fountain shaped and grows to about 4 feet tall and almost as wide. The flower buds are usually green, but some varieties have purple buds.
How to grow: Artichokes prefer cool, moist summers and mild winters but tolerate summer heat if the soil is kept moist. Give them full sun in mild areas and partial shade in hot-summer climates. Below 28°F they need winter protection, for example an overturned basket filled with leaves placed above the roots. In coldest-winter areas bring the roots inside during winter and keep them moist and cool. In hot, early summers the artichoke buds open too soon and are tough.
Green varieties of artichokes are started when bare root from plants are offered in spring. (Bare-root plants are dug up while dormant and sold with their roots wrapped in plastic.) In contrast, the purple variety of artichoke is usually started from seeds. In cold climates, sow seeds indoors eight weeks before your last spring frost date, about ¼ inch deep and ¼ inch apart. In mild climates, fall plantings work well too. When sowing, soil temperature should be between 70°F to 80°F. Transplant seedlings to 4-inch pots. Grow at cooler temperatures (70°F during the day, 60°F at night). Transplant to the garden when 8 weeks old. (Spring plantings need at least 250 hours of temperatures under 50°F to induce budding.) Protect from frost.
‘Violetta’ artichoke buds
Artichokes require rich, moist, well-drained soil with plenty of organic matter. They respond well to deep mulches and manure. Extra nitrogen should be added halfway through the growing season and after harvest. Dig up and thin plants every three years. Aphids, earwigs, and snails are sometimes a problem.
When harvesting, cut off young artichoke buds, about 4 inches below the bud, well before they start to open. The younger the bud, the more tender it is and the more of it that is edible.
Varieties
The Cook’s Garden, Redwood City Seed Company, and The Gourmet Gardener carry seeds of purple artichokes.
‘Purple Sicilian’: produces bronzy-purple buds
‘Violetto’: Italian variety; produces medium-sized, purple buds
How to prepare: The anthocyanins in purple artichokes lose their color when cooked, so serve them raw to emphasize the color. Raw artichokes once cut and thus exposed to the air, quickly turn brown. So to use them raw, keep them in water with added lemon juice to prevent discoloring.
How to prepare: In French kitchens, immature purple artichokes are traditionally 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. In Italy, pieces of young, tender raw artichokes are dipped in olive oil as part of an antipasto, or the heart is thinly sliced and served drizzled with lemon juice, olive oil, and salt.
Young fresh buds can be eaten without removing the choke (fuzzy, inedible center). Most mature artichokes must have the choke removed, but homegrown ones, if harvested while still young, do not.
To prepare a mature artichoke bud, cut off the top inch or so of the leaves. Then, with your hand, peel back the outside layer of leaves to where they break readily. If there is a fuzzy choke at the bottom, scrape it out with a sharp spoon. Immediately soak them in acidulated water until you are ready to cook them.
Whole artichokes can be stuffed and baked, steamed, or boiled in water with the juice of two lemons. Cook them until a knife inserted in the bottom of the choke is tender and present them whole. To eat a whole artichoke, pull off the outside leaves and use your teeth to scrape out the flesh. The remaining heart, or bottom, is cut into bite-size pieces and relished.
Artichokes may also be incorporated into many cooked dishes. Trim tender small bulbs lightly and use whole or use the hearts of larger bulbs cut in pieces in salads or casseroles.
ASPARAGUS, PURPLE
Asparagus officinalis
‘Purple Sweet’ asparagus
Asparagus is an herbaceous perennial that goes dormant in winter; its edible spears appear in spring. Asparagus shoots, whether they are green or purple, not cut for eating develop into airy, ferny foliage plants 5 feet high that can line a walkway or serve as a billowy background in a flower bed.
How to grow: Asparagus grows in all but the most hot and cold climates. The green varieties, and one purple variety are available as one-year-old rooted crows (the base of the plant plus roots). A family of four will need thirty to forty plants. Because asparagus plants remain in one place for many years and are heavy feeders, the soil must be prepared very well. Asparagus needs a deep organic soil, with a pH of 6.5. Excellent drainage is critical. Asparagus plants also need full sun.
In the early spring, prepare the soil and remove any perennial weeds. For thirty to forty plants, spade up the area as follows: dig two trenches 6 inches deep (a foot in coldest areas), 12 inches wide, about 20 feet long, and 3 feet apart. Amend the soil in the trenches with compost or aged manure and 4 pounds of bone meal worked 8 inches into the soil. Then place the crowns in the bottom, 15 inches apart with their roots well spread out. Cover with 2 inches of soil. As the shoots emerge, continue to fill the trench with soil. Once the trenches are full, mulch with 4 inches of an organic mulch.
On normal soil, annual applications of compost or modest amounts of chicken manure is all that is needed for fertilizer. After the first season, only moderate amounts of water are needed during the growing season. In the arid Southwest, to encourage dormancy do not irrigate in winter.
Asparagus beetles are generally the most serious pest. Diligent hand picking of the beetles in early spring as soon as they appear helps reduce the population. If the beetles are taking over, knock them off into a bucket of soapy water or use a Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis) developed for their control and apply it according to directions. Further, fall cleanup removes some of the breeding adults. If the bed is free
