permaculture

[Marimike6@cs.com]

David Travis wrote:

"Re: artichokes, I'm wondering whether or not they have been "overlooked" 
because they simply don't make a very good food source."

In the 1970s California growers tried to market them as "Sun Chokes". They 
didn't do very well because of simple food conservatism. People weren't 
familiar 
with them, didn't know how to cook them or mostly, were just afraid to try 
anything new.

I tried them. They were OK. I guess that wasn't enough to keep them on the 
shelves.

In the absence of dozens of perfectly good, familiar alternatives I could 
probably have developed many ways to make them into something delicious. So I 
guess we just didn't need a new root vegetable back then.

Hot tip: try rutabagas. Any time you're cooking a soup or a stew, grate them 
and add them as a nutritious and tasty thickener.

Avoid the similar looking turnips. The hogs seem to like them. I hoed too 
many as a kid to have any great appreciation for this vile tasting, bilious 
root.

Michael