The Extra Helping
From glut to glory. Jerusalem artichokes, wild garlic and wines from Alsace
We are writing to you this week from what feels like a January day. Hail has been bouncing on the kitchen roof all morning. You wouldn’t think we were in t shirts with the door open letting the Spring air in this time last week! I was worried this first dish I had planned would feel too wintery when I planned to write about it but looking at the forecast I think comforting dishes are still on the menu for now.
A lovely customer brought as some Jerusalem artichokes from a glut on their allotment and this is what we made with them. So creamy and delicious with a delicate flavour, I have picked up a slight floral aroma whilst steaming them. A versatile vegetable. Crisps, silky purees, steamed and grilled. This dish does it all. A show case of their different facets. Strange, nobbly creatures. Americans call them sun chokes. They are a relative to the sunflower and can be cooked in a similar way to potatoes and parsnips as well as eaten raw or pickled. I’ve even made them into an ice cream, as they really lend themselves to a creamy based recipe.
If you ever have a glut of anything you are growing please do let us know and we can give you some ideas or take it off your hands in return for some coffees, jams or chutneys.
Coming up second a bonus recipe pictured above we’re working with the (January) King of cabbages. It’s leaves are always tempting with their delicate green and purple hew. Cabbage has been in the headlines lately, becoming trendy now but it has always been on our plates.
Before we get in to the first recipe a reminder of our wine tasting series Travels to…
We are beginning in Alsace this Sunday with 4 wines from the region and a discussion about terroir and the journeys, meals and wines shared.
