6 Comments
Mar 13Liked by Julia Watson

Insignificant as it may be, if artichokes were cultivated in Carthage it would be Phoenicia, not Roman, and Córdoba was Roman but likely later than the Greeks or Phoenicians. None of this detracts in the least from the appeal of artichokes, violette or otherwise!

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You're right of course. It was poorly expressed. I was chalking it up to the Roman recorders, as much as the places others grew them. I've been beaten over the head too much of my life over the 'which came first' argument.

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Mar 15Liked by Julia Watson

Please luxuriate in the knowledge that we know we can count on you for factual information, and even a merely poorly expressed idea is a rarity in your writing. Moreover, “which came first” arguments generally constitute irrelevant expressions of chauvinism or local pride. In the end, who cares?

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Hehehe! What a generous response. And as you say, does it matter?

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Mar 13Liked by Julia Watson

I've only ever eaten baby artichokes once, in a restaurant in Aubagne, as part of their 'Salade Gourmande' - the sort of salad you need a four-course appetite to finish! Your recipe sounds yummy (as always), so definitely on my 'To Try' list. Once my artichoke produces enough little buds to harvest ...

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When I lived on Mull, I grew a forest of artichokes. I suppose the climate is not unlike that of Brittany - or California's coastal region. I love them even if they do ruin wine.

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