When we belonged to a CSA, our weekly box always came with a new recipe. Sometimes that recipe accompanied a new produce item. That's how I introduced sunchokes to my family. Also called Jerusalem artichoke, sunroot or topinambour, the root is a bit like a potato but sweeter and nuttier. Prepared as a soup in the middle of winter, it's a hit with my family. (Recipe is an adaptation of the one that I received from Eatwell Farm)
2 Tbsp butter
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/4 of an onion, sliced
1 lb. Jerusalem artichokes, washed and sliced
Water
Bones
1 cup milk
salt & pepper
herb of your choice, chopped (I used oregano)
olive oil (optional)
Melt butter over medium heat in a large saucepan
Saute onion and garlic until soft and then the sunchokes for a couple of minutes
Cover with water, add bones and season with salt
Bring to a boil and simmer until tender
Remove the bones
Add milk and blend using an immersion blender
Adjust seasoning
Serve hot, with chopped herbs and a few drops of olive oil
Butter: Purchased packaged, I use the waxed paper wrappers to grease my baking pans, then wash them for an art piece. I started my artwork this week; for a sneak peek, see my Instagram post!
Garlic, onion, sunchokes: Purchased from the produce aisle, using mesh bags.
Bones: Saved in a glass jar in the freezer after a chicken dish, then added to a dish as a shortcut to broth in the cooking process.
Milk: Purchased from the dairy aisle, it comes in glass and I return the empties to the store.
Salt and pepper: Purchased from the bulk aisle, using cloth bags.
Herb: Oregano, grown on the side of our house; it's a transplant from a friend's plant. We water it with leftover cooking water.
Olive oil: Purchased from bulk dispensers, filling a jar or bottle.
Have you prepared sunchokes before?