Jerusalem Artichokes

Okay, now you can enjoy your harvest. Loosen the dirt in a wide circle around each stalk. Pull on the stalk. Up comes the root ball with many tubers attached. Dig carefully in the hole left behind and you will find more tubers. Most likely you will miss a couple, and those will nourish next year's plants. But if you want to be sure, replant any tubers that seem too small to bother eating.

Scrub the knobby darlings clean under running water. For most recipes, it is not necessary to peel the thin skin, which would in any case remove much of the nutritional value of the Jerusalem artichokes.

J-chokes can be eaten raw, cooked, or pickled. Raw in salads, they add a water chestnut-like crunch and an earthy sweetness. You can cook them much as you would potatoes, so long as you keep a couple of things in mind: they soften easily and require less cooking time; their flavor is much stronger than that of potatoes. Cooked, they go well with meats, poultry, and mushroom dishes.

Pan-Fried J-Chokes
Serves Two

2 cups Jerusalem artichokes, cut into approximately 1-inch chunks
Good quality olive oil
Salt and pepper
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
Garlic powder

Coat frying pan with approx.1/8-inch oil. Place over medium high heat. Toss J-chokes with a little more oil and lemon juice. When the oil is just starting to sizzle, add J-chokes in a single layer to cover bottom of pan. Cook until golden on one side. Use spatula to flip over and cook until golden on other side. Add more oil if they are starting to stick to pan. Drain on paper towels. Season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.

Note: Do not pile more than one layer in pan or they will stick together. If doubling recipe, keep first batch warm in a 200F oven while you fry the next batch.

Related Links:

Jerusalem Artichokes
Melana Hiatt's Edible Wild; excellent information, recipes, and links

Jerusalem Artichokes--Beginner Style!

The Jerusalem Artichoke Caper
Includes the history of how this plant came by its unlikely name.

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