Jerusalem Artichokes - the story so far

Jerusalem Artichokes are one of the most under-rated vegetables. In France, there are fed to pigs and cattle and hardly looked at. My grand parents refuse to eat them - but maybe because that's all they ate for weeks on during the war ... I got weird looks when I told them I was thinking about growing them but went ahead anyway.

That must have been one of the best decisions ever! They are one of the easiest vegetable ever to grow: put the tubers in the ground between now and March and watch them grow. Come October, the leaves start yellowing and the tall stalks are just cut to ground level - I left a couple of inches to make sure I could spot them easily (and make sure I don't leave any stray tubers as they tend to go rampant the next year if you do!) Dig them up as you need them from October onwards, they keep in the ground all winter and have survived despite the rain and frosts we've had. I'm going to save the last tubers and plant them on.

The rise and fall of the Jerusalem Artichokes bed

The taste is hard to describe, I have heard anything from nutty to oyster flavoured; personally I think they taste a little like artichoke hearts. And they must be the most versatile veg ever: boil, roast, mash, in soups or even raw sliced or grated in salads. There are definetely one of my favourite vegetables! Here are a couple of recipes we sampled this winter.

Jerusalem Artichokes with Pancetta and Parsley

Ingredients (serves 4):

• 450g of Jerusalem Artichokes
• 50g of pancetta or smoked bacon
• 50g butter
• salt, pepper and a small bunch of flat leaved parsley

Method:

1. Scrub the Jerusalem Artichokes and cut them in half.
2. Melt the butter in a large pan and fry the artichokes for a few minutes, add the pancetta or smoked bacon and keep frying for another 4 or 5 minutes.
3. Add 100ml of water, cover with a lid and cook very slowly for 30-45 minutes. Check that they do not dry and add a small amount of water if necessary.
4. Taste and season with salt and pepper and sprinkle with the chopped parsley.

Jerusalem Artichokes and Leeks Gratin

This is perfect to use up those two winter staples!

Ingredients (serves 4)

• 700g Jerusalem Artichokes
• 3 medium size leeks
• 100g butter
• 30g flour
• 500ml milk
• 200g cheddar, grated
• salt and pepper
• nutmeg

Method:

1. Scrub the Jerusalem artichokes, boil for 8-10 minutes until par-boiled, drain and leave to cool.
2. In the meantime, clean and thinly slice the leeks. Fry in 20g of butter until soft but not brown.
3. Peel and cut the Jerusalem artichokes into slices. Preheat oven to 350F/180 C.
4. In a small saucepan, make a béchamel (white sauce) using 50g of butter, 30g of flour and 500 ml of milk. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg to taste. Add 100g of grated cheddar and the cooked leeks.
5. In a shallow ovenproof dish, arrange sliced artichoke in a layer, and pour the béchamel and leeks mixture over the artichokes.
6. Sprinkle over the rest of the cheese, dot with butter and bake for 45 minutes and until brown.

PS: and everything you have heard or read about their side effects is true. Do not eat before important meetings, job interviews or a crucial date. You'll live to regret it.