This was my first time using cardoons. I stumbled upon the celery stalk impostor while perusing fresh direct and I ordered it without having any idea what I would do with it or even how to cook it. I asked some friends about it and people speak of the mild artichoke flavor with such reverence, that despite it being a bit of a pain to prepare, I couldn't wait to try it. Mario Batali commented on my twitter post, saying it is his favorite fall vegetable. I did some research on how to cook the thing and found that most recipes call for either breading & frying it or have a beschamel or cheesey/saucy component. I asked Iron Chef Marc Forgione on twitter and he suggested a cardoon and celery root gratin; sounds delicious, but wasn't exactly what I was looking for. After giving it some thought, I came up with this dish as my first experiment: Rib Eye with Cardoon, Fennel & Brussel Sprout Leaves and Cardoon Fries.
