Fit Fare

Well, it’s coming towards the end of their season now, but they’re still worth mentioning - these fabulous little knobbly tubers with a distinctive flavor.

I love Jerusalem artichokes so much we planted some in our garden last year, and are just harvesting the results now. Not, perhaps, particularly successful, but then we are beginners …

As I expect you know, Jerusalem artichokes are not related to artichokes at all, but to sunflowers. If you look at the picture taken by Paul Fenwick, you can see how similar they look! They are native to America, so I expect there are many more traditional recipes in America than there are here.

They are high in potassium and iron, and excellent as a source of fiber, because the inulin in them , but I should point out that some people find digesting these difficult because of their inulin content, and they can cause discomfort and flatulence as a result.

You can use these artichokes in a variety of ways, perhaps treating them like potatoes, mashing them with butter or serving them as a dauphinois. You can make a coleslaw type salad with them (equal amounts of carrots and jerusalem artichokes, grated or cut into thin matchsticks, and dressed with olive oil and lemon juice). Or you could get more complicated and cook jerusalem artichoke and mushroom pithiviers.

But I like this recipe for soup, which I received in an Abel and Cole veg delivery box once:

JERUSALEM ARTICHOKE SOUP

1 oz butter
1 onion
1 clove garlic
1 lb Jerusalem artichokes, scrubbed and sliced
16 fluid ounces of semi-skimmed milk
16 fluid ounces of stock
1 oz cornflour
Salt and pepper
2 dessert spoons fresh parsley
2 dessert spoons single cream

Melt the butter in a large heavy based saucepan and soften the onion.

Add the garlic and artichokes and stir for a few minutes.

Add the vegetable stock and milk, cover the saucepan and simmer for 25 minutes or until the jerusalem artichoke pieces are tender.

Process in a liquidiser or food processor until smooth then return to the rinsed pan.

In a cup or small bowl, blend the cornflour with 2 tablespoons water . Add this mixture to the saucepan and bring to the boil, stirring continuously. Remove from the heat, season, and add the chopped parsley and the cream.