Kitchen Garden Forum

alan refail wrote:Yet another one from me! I made this to accompany the Christmas turkey, along with "The best way to eat sprouts".

Jerusalem Artichokes with olives and wine

...or, if you want it fancy Topinambours à la Barigoule. A good southern French peasant dish.

Chop 500gr of Jerusalem artichokes, scrubbed and/or peeled, into 2cm pieces. Put them in a pan which just fits them and add two tablespoons of olive oil, the juice and grated zest of a lemon, about a dozen black olives and 100ml of white wine. Add water to barely cover them tightly, bring to the boil then simmer till the artichokes are tender. Uncover and let the liquid evaporates and the artichokes are just starting to caramelise. Add a good handful of chopped parsley and a couple of garlic cloves finely chopped.

Serves four

Loved this, really great dish

In the recipe diary that goes simonj! Sounds lush!

Westi

Westi wrote:In the recipe diary that goes simonj! Sounds lush!

Westi

I thought you were doing that 3 years ago

viewtopic.php?p=99457#p99457

Thanks for this posting Alan, and thanks to the contributors so far. You've encouraged me not that I was ever cooking simple food.

These days because I'm mostly cooking for one I got lazy, cooking for one is not an excuse to cook boring food.

Being perfectly honest my lazy-ness came about because when I share food cooked in an exciting way then get raised-eyebrows and my food pushed to one side this effects my ego.

What this thread also does is encourage growing of vegetables you may not consider growing or even buying.

I particularly look forward to trying the cauliflower dishes.

Hi Alan

Thought it was familiar!

It wasn't in my folder, but my old computer got corrupted & I've started a new one on my iPad. I didn't make it last time but tasted it as shared it with my friend who made it for a shared lunch. You've got to admit I'm predictable - read a recipe & just know I'm going to like it! Now it's back in my folder & the old artichokes are looking fit & healthy & hoping for a good harvest!

Many Thanks
Westi

I have never tasted an artichoke. Please prepare me.

Ricard with an H wrote:I have never tasted an artichoke. Please prepare me.

Jerusalem Artichokes AKA fartichokes

You just reminded me to buy some sourkraut. But what about taste ? I'll buy one just to experiment because taste is a very personal thing anyway.

Hi Richard

They taste nutty with a texture a bit like a potato. They take up other flavours well & are versatile in the kitchen as you can roast them, shove them in stews& make a lovely soup etc.

They do give you the farts though, which is also fine if your not mixing with anyone the next day. I use Asafoetida to counteract this - it is an Indian spice that tastes a wee bit of onion & it does assists in the wind department.

The plants are tall about 7 or 8 feet with nice green foliage & they get a wee sunflower on them. When they die down you dig up the tubers which happily sit in the ground until you want them & not many pests bother with them. Just replant some tubers next year or in my case I never find them all so they just continue to grow. Often used as a wind break (no pun intended) but not sure strong enough to cope with your extremes.

Westi

Thanks Westi, I couldn't have done as well if I'd consulted a top gardening book.

I did go to the few I have and did a bit of work on the internet though no one was as comprehensive as you.

I won't be growing anything that tall though, this summer we have Cosmos at nearly 8 foot high in places and it looks a real mess from that bit of wind we had a while back. It floored the lot but it did make a come-back.

Having said that, I'll buy some just for the fun. I like food that takes on other favours.

When the ladies with calves in the adjacent field fart it sounds like a lorry broke down, or something. They do very loud poops and none of their mates look up and giggle or look down their nose in disgust. Generally I'm at the same level as the girls until Mo come home then I behave like the perfect gentleman and blame the dog.

The plants are tall about 7 or 8 feet with nice green foliage & they get a wee sunflower on them. When they die down you dig up the tubers which happily sit in the ground until you want them & not many pests bother with them.

I won't be growing anything that tall though,

If you grow them for the tubers, wouldn't they make an excellent wind shield crop for the other crops you wish to grow ?

Jerusalem artichokes DO make a wind break but as they carry a lot of leafage, they have to be really strongly anchored to the ground (bamboo canes won't do) otherwise they just break off and damage anything next to them. We have learnt that by bitter experience.

As for a different winter vegetable: what about brukale/flower sprouts. I wasn't too keen on them when I first grew them, but last winter, they really came into their own. We picked them well into spring and they were as good and fresh as early in the season (sort of November onwards), quite different from the Brussels spouts which spoilt in the damp, mild winter.

Good pun Monika Jerusalem artichokes are a good wind break

I love artichokes but wish I had never planted them in the allotment. I only have a five rod patch and try and rotate as best I can. But can I ever get rid of the artichokes- no! Every year they reappear in between whatever I decide to grow in that area. They've even spread to the walkway between mine and my neighbours patch (I of course deny any knowledge of how they got there....). Think carefully before planting ......

Ooo and I see the Italian recipes in this thread from Alan. I'll take a look as cauliflower is an absolute favourite of mine (despite my complete inability to grow it)

Paula

My most recent vegetable craze is sweet potatoes. My diet is special; ie consist largely of what is on "special" each week.. ( I live on a pension and aim at E1 a meal). LIDL had them at 29 cents one week and how could I refuse.. OK so I grow less than most here.. I have varied but my favourite is soup... cut up roughly without peeling ( the peel slides off when cooked), a chicken leg for stock and flavour.. add a chopped onion, a couple of corn cobs ( also on special ) and a chopped apple, cover with water and simmer. I use a small range in winter here. A delicious hearty chunky warming soup which you can mash or blend as you prefer. I Just noticed LIDl has sweet potatoes at 29 cents again this week,,, Between that and ALDI soper 6 I do well..