Jerusalem artichokes are sweet. You wouldn’t think so by looking at the gnarly roots. And you may not think so unless you have another vegetable to which to compare them. So I roasted a handful of Jerusalem artichokes (all I could bear to peel at one time…) and a couple of potatoes and tasted the results. The mix of flavours turned out to be a great mix of textures at the same time, since the artichokes softened up much more than the potatoes, into a melt-in-your-mouth, work-free purée and chunkier potatoes. All it took was a bit of olive oil, some thyme, and some salt and pepper. With a little side salad it’s a simple, quick lunch, or add a piece of fish or some chicken or lentils for a heartier meal. you’ll never want to roast potatoes alone again.
Ingredients:
6-10 Jerusalem artichokes (until you can’t bar to peel anymore. Tip: Use a spoon instead of a vegetable peeler, or you’ll end up with more peels than artichokes)
3-4 scrubbed potatoes, cut into Jerusalem artichoke-sized pieces
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
3 sprigs of thyme
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp (or a few grinds) of black pepper
Optional additions: 2 cloves garlic, chopped; 1 tsp lemon juice; rosemary or dried basil instead of thyme; 2 tsp diced jalapeno or other hot pepper; flavoured olive oils
Directions:
1. Peel the Jerusalem artichokes and be glad you’re mixing this recipe with potatoes so you don’t have to peel as many artichokes!
2. Scrub the potatoes and chop them into Jerusalem artichoke-sized chunks. You can also peel them if you prefer.
3. Toss the vegetables with the other ingredients (feel free to add the optional garlic, jalapeno, and any other alternate ingredients except the lemon juice) and arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet or roasting pan (or a large casserole dish, uncovered – whatever you have)
4. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 40 minutes. Stir vegetables after 20 minutes and return to the oven until soft for the remaining 20 minutes. You may need to roast them longer depending on the size of your vegetables. The vegetables should be slightly caramelized.
Optionally sprinkle with lemon juice, toss, and serve with a simple green salad (gorgeous greens this week and sweet vine tomatoes).
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