My new TV obsession is Aly Fowler in The Edible Garden which is broadcast on Friday;s at 8pm on BBC1. This week was the Winter Larder in which Alys grows Jerusalem artichokes to harvest in the Winter.
Alys renamed them Fartichokes, and if you have eaten a platefull you will know why. I have found a lovely reference in Wikipedia 'Gerard's Herbal, printed in 1621, quotes the English planter John Goodyer on Jerusalem artichokes:
"which way soever they be dressed and eaten, they stir and cause a filthy loathsome stinking wind within the body, thereby causing the belly to be pained and tormented, and are a meat more fit for swine than men."
I certainly agree with the first part of what he says but not the last but as they are really tasty and nutty partucularly if in a mixture of roast ground veg.
The other problem with Jerusalem Artichokes is any bits left in the ground will regrow and as we didn't get to the allotment much at the end of last year loads were left in the ground so here is the artichoke patch for this year. We might have to start a market stall.
They are actually a member of the sunflower family so these plants will grow to about 9 feet tall with lovely yellow flowers on the top which look nice in a vase.
1 comment:
Like mother like daughter...I love Alys! I have to say though, even her suggestion of mixing winter savoury with fartichokes to make them less...um...farty is not going to make me have them again. My stomach does not like them! Luckily the triffid that we have had in our garden for the last 2 years us now under the chickens run so I think it's unlikely that the plants will get the chance to grow much - thank goodness!
Post a Comment