Jerusalem fartichokes...ahem, artichokes

What on earth is this knobby muddy thing in my box? What you have there, friend is, according to Wikipedia, knower of all things, "The Jerusalem artichoke (Helianthus tuberosus), also called sunroot, sunchoke, earth apple or topinambour" I'm especially fond of that last one.

It's a tuber of a tall, sunflower-looking plant. Come fall, the 10 foot plus flowered top dies back and the roots cure there skins preparing for the winter, much like potatoes. Unlike potatoes, they're not very starchy. They're made mostly of inulin which breaks down into fructose so it doesn't spike your blood sugar quite so much. This makes a good case for swapping this bad boy for potatoes in your cooking if you are concerned about such things.

Here they are hanging out with some sweet potatoes I dug today:

A tuber only a mother could love...

Dear wiki also informs me that in Germany, "over 90% of the Jerusalem artichoke crop is used to produce a spirit called Topinabure, "Topi" or "Rossler".By the end of the 19th-century Jerusalem artichokes were being used in Baden to make a spirit called "Jerusalem artichoke brandy,". So, it seems like you have the makings of booze as well as noms.

You may also have noticed a slight...misspelling...of sunchoke in my title. They've got a reputation, a bad one at that. Bon Appetit has a interesting article here about it. I've never had such trouble, but fartichoke is waay to funny not to use in a sentence. If you don't have time to read that, it recommends peeling them if you think you have a sensitive digestion. 

Don't be put off though, these funny looking tubers are a culinary treat. They have a unique texture and a light nutty, earthy, mushroomy, artichoke flavor that is sure to steal the show in anything they're cooked in. Here are some great ideas from VegParadise in this article.


STORAGE: Keep the tubers wrapped in plastic and refrigerate. They will keep up to two weeks, but it's always best eat them as fresh as possible for the best flavor and nutrition. Their sweetness is known to increase when refrigerated after harvesting. If you grow your own, refrigerate them for a day or two before consuming.
PREPARATION: Scrub the sunchokes clean with a vegetable brush. Since much of their nutrients are stored just under the skin, it's best not to peel them. Once cut, sunchokes discolor quickly, so it's best to cut them close to serving time, or cut and immerse them in water with lemon or vinegar to prevent oxidation. Cooking them with the skins on may cause a darkening of the skins because of their high iron content.
RAW:
Slice sunchokes and enjoy the crunch they add to your salad.
Slice and serve them along with crudites and dips.
Shred them into a slaw. Dice them into a chopped salad.
Slice, dice, or shred and marinate in a little extra virgin olive oil and lemon juice or rice vinegar
Coarsely chop sunchokes and add to the blender when preparing raw soups.
STIR FRY: Slice, dice, or shred and stir fry along with other fresh vegetables in a little extra virgin olive oil. They will become softened in about 4 to 6 minutes. For a tender crisp texture, stir fry about 2 to 4 minutes.
BAKED: Sunchokes can be baked whole or sliced. Toss them in a bowl with a little extra virgin olive oil and place on a baking sheet. Set the oven temperature at 375 and bake 30 to 45 minutes for whole, and 20 to 25 minutes for sliced, turning them half way through. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
STEAMED: Coarsely chop the Jerusalem artichokes and put them into a steamer basket. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Continue at high heat and steam for 5 to 8 minutes. Test for softness. Remove and season to taste or mash like potatoes.
BOILED: Sunchokes can be boiled whole or cut as desired. Bring a covered saucepan of water to a boil over high heat. Add sunchokes and boil for 10 to 15 minutes for whole, and 5 to 8 minutes for cut up. Season as desired or mash like potatoes.

 Ok, but if they're a treat, what can I do to really enjoy them? Glad you asked! Here are a few recipes I dug up:

This one's from Jamie Oliver.  It's a sauteé with bay leaves.

To serve 4, you will need 600g/1lb 6oz of Jerusalem artichokes. Peel them, then cut them into chunks. Place them in an oiled frying pan and fry on a medium heat until golden on both sides, then add a few bay leaves, 2 cloves of garlic, finely sliced, a splash of white wine vinegar, some salt and pepper, and place a lid on top. After about 20 to 25 minutes they will have softened up nicely and you can remove the lid and the bay leaves. Continue cooking for a couple of minutes to crisp the artichoke slices up one last time, then serve straight away. Personally, I think they go well with both meat and fish and are particularly good in a plate of antipasti, or in soups or warm salads. 

Here is a fancy soup from Simply Recipes

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 2 celery stalks, chopped
• 2 large garlic cloves, chopped
• 2 pounds jerusalem artichokes, peeled and cut into chunks
• 1 quart chicken stock (use vegetable stock for vegetarian option, and gluten-free stock if cooking gluten-free)
• Salt and black pepper to taste

Method

1 Heat the butter in a soup pot over medium-high heat and cook the onions and celery until soft, about 5 minutes. Do not brown them. Add the garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Sprinkle with salt.
2 Add the jerusalem artichokes and the chicken stock to the pot and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low, and simmer, covered, until the jerusalem artichokes begin to break down, 45 minutes to an hour.
3 Using an immersion blender or upright blender, purée the soup. If using an upright blender, fill the blender bowl up only to a third of capacity at a time, if the soup is hot, and hold down the lid while blending. Alternately, you can push the soup through the finest grate on a food mill, or push it through a sturdy sieve. Add salt to taste.

Here's a nice salad from Epicurious. It pairs sunchokes with arugula and Parmesan.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons orange juice
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

• 1 pound Jerusalem artichokes, trimmed, peeled, thinly sliced
• 1 5-ounce bag arugula
• 2 ounces Parmesan cheese, shaved

Preparation

Whisk orange juice, vinegar, and mustard in small bowl to blend. Gradually whisk in oil. Season vinaigrette to taste with salt and pepper. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)

Combine Jerusalem artichokes, arugula, and Parmesan in large bowl. Drizzle with vinaigrette and toss to coat. Divide among 6 plates and serve.

 However you choose to enjoy them, have fun! This is that adventure part I was talking about when we first started. If you don't like it, keep them as stocking stuffers for family members you don't quite like either. If you do something particularly cool with them, let me know! Enjoy!