Growing at the Speed of Life - A Year in the Life of My First Kitchen Garden

JERUSALEM ARTICHOKE

Basic Preparation

If this is your first encounter with a Jerusalem
artichoke, know that it has an unusual texture.
When used raw, its texture is not unlike the
crispness of jicama or water chestnuts. When
cooked, it’s halfway between a potato and an
eggplant.
Because its exterior is so knobby (and the
skin so thin), it doesn’t pay to try to peel them;
just lightly scrub them, and you’ll get a dark
cream skin and an almost white interior.
Parboil Jerusalem artichokes in boiling
salted water for about 20 minutes if medium-
large (about 2 inches in diameter). Let them
cool, and slice ¼-inch thick. They can be sau­
téed in a little olive oil well seasoned with salt
and pepper. A dusting of fresh parsley or chives
is a nice fi nishing touch.
They do not mash well, and personally, I
don’t enjoy their texture when boiled and
served whole. They can be roasted aft er being
cut in quarters as you would any root vegetable.

JERUSALEM ARTICHOKE



AND MUSHROOM SAUTÉ

Here we have a most unusual textural recipe,

with great flavors and exceptionally low glyce­

mic numbers in what appears to be a starchy

dish.

SERVES 4

1 pound Jerusalem artichokes

1 teaspoon olive oil

1 medium sweet onion, fi nely sliced

1 garlic clove, crushed

8 crimini brown-skinned butter mushrooms

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

¼ teaspoon cayenne

5 Swiss chard leaves, very fi nely sliced

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Scrub the outsides of the Jerusalem artichokes

and place them in boiling water. Cook for 20

minutes or until just tender. Cool and cut into

¼-inch-thin round slices. Heat the olive oil in a

large skillet over medium. Add the onion and

sauté for 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook

for 1 minute. Add the sliced artichokes, toss

well for 2 minutes, and then add the mush­

rooms, lemon juice, and cayenne. Toss for

about 2 minutes or until mushrooms are done.

Stir in the Swiss chard, season with salt and

black pepper, and serve.

Per serving : 125 calories, 1 g fat, 0 g saturated fat,

26  g carbohydrate, 4 g protein, 3 g dietary fi ber,

426 mg sodium

158 • GROWING AT THE SPEED OF LIFE