Turn Your Organic Garden Into a Garden of Eatin'
Grow Jerusalem Artichokes

When I first moved to my small farm in North Carolina, I was eager to grow all sorts of new and interesting plants and vegetables in my organic garden. Many of my new friends and neighbors caught wind of this fact and, next thing I knew, they had generously supplied me with buckets of bulbs, stacks of seedlings and boxes of garlic and Jerusalem Artichokes to plant that fall.

Jerusalem artichokes are often on the menu at trendy restaurants where they are often known by their more hip and fresh sounding alias, Sunchokes. They add a delectable, sweet crunch (reminiscent of jicama or water chestnut) to salads and are delicious in simmered in stews or fried as hash browns or potato/sunchoke pancakes.

Jerusalem artichokes are also a great food for diabetics because their sugars are in the form of inulin, a substance which shows anecdotal evidence of helping to moderate blood sugar levels yet isn't absorbed by the human body for use as energy (this also makes them a great food for dieters)! Thus, they are sweet, crunchy, filling and low in sugar and calories.

As members of the sunflower family, Jerusalem artichokes are well adapted to most areas of the US and are a crop that is native to North America. They do especially well in the Northern two-thirds of the country. The Jerusalem artichoke itself is a tuber that grows as the base of a sunflower-like plant, which also has pretty yellow flowers. They are vigorous growers, and gardeners are more likely to end up with excessive quantities of plants and tubers than too few.

In fact, Jerusalem artichokes can be hard to eradicate once they take up residence in your garden--they make so many tubers that it's almost impossible to harvest them all. Volunteers sprout readily from any bit of tuber left in the ground. This is a big plus if you really enjoy them but can be frustrating if you want to grow them one year and then use their bed for different crop the next year. Fortunately, once you try them, you will become very fond of them and be glad when they reappear every spring.

In order to grow Jerusalem artichokes, you will need some tubers. You may be as fortunate as I was and have a neighbor with an abundance of extra tubers or you may have to buy them. The tubers are widely available from seed companies and mail order nurseries and are fairly affordable.

Once you get your hands on some tubers, you will have to find a well-drained, deep soil to plant them in. As is the case with potatoes and other root crops, Jerusalem artichokes like plenty of fluffy, organic matter-rich soil to spread out and grow in. The recommendation from NC State is to plant your tubers 3-5 inches deep with about 15 inches between each plant. That being said, I have planted tubers much closer than that in my highly-managed, high organic matter soils and have gotten enormous yields of large tubers.

Lazy gardeners, such as myself, really appreciate Jerusalem artichokes because they are very disease resistant and can out compete most weeds. The plants can grow over six feet tall, which makes them rather spectacular and leaves the ground under their leaf canopy to be very shady, thus reducing the chances of weeds surviving. Jerusalem artichokes are tailor-made for organic gardening. Even the large-scale commercial growers of this crop rarely use pesticides.

Jerusalem artichokes have a long growing season: they don't flower until late summer and their tubers aren't ready to harvest until after the first frost of the year. Just wait patiently and you will be rewarded with loads of fantastically-shaped (the tuber look very much like ginger root) tubers. Then, the time will have come to cook them up and enjoy the fruits of your Garden of Eatin'.

For More Information:

NC State University's Jerusalem Artichoke Growing Tips.
http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/hil/hil-1-a.html

Jerusalem artichoke facts and recipes
http://homecooking.about.com/library/archive/blv71.htm

~Tammy Biondi

Tammy Biondi is a former suburbanite who moved to the country in order to dedicate herself to the farm and garden life. She grows and sells organic plants and vegetables and uses the knowledge she gains from her professional experiences to make a beautiful and bountiful home garden for herself and her family.

Preparing and Cooking the Organic Artichoke

Steaming an Artichoke is the ideal cooking method for maintaining the high-nutrient content for which an Artichoke is known. Arrange Artichokes in a steamer insert, basket, or a special Artichoke holder in a pot deep enough to keep Artichokes above water. Cover and steam over rapid-boiling water (making sure to maintain the water level), until Artichokes are tender. Depending on size and quantity of Artichokes, steaming time can range from 30 to 50 minutes; lift out carefully and drain.

Grilling adds colour and a delicious smoked flavor to Artichokes. But Artichokes need to be pre-cooked before grilling. To pre-cook Artichokes, steam or boil them. Brush cooked Artichokes with olive / coconut oil and grill — turning frequently and watching carefully — over hot coals just until nicely browned, or charred to your preference.

Option: Cut Artichokes in half before grilling to obtain more of that grilled taste throughout the Artichoke petals.

Usually considered a method of meat cookery, braising involves cooking food in seasoned liquid and is a nice way to give Artichokes extra flavour. In a large saucepan or pot, heat a small amount of olive oil, along with any savory ingredients you prefer (herbs, garlic, lemon, salt and pepper). Add about 2 cups of water, cover tightly, heat to boiling. Add Artichokes and cover tightly. Reduce heat and simmer until Artichokes are tender, about 25 to 40 minutes.

You can also braise in the oven. Brush Artichokes with olive or coconut oil and arrange in oven-safe pot or baking dish. Add lemon slices, garlic, salt and pepper, and water as above. Cover tightly with lid or foil and bake in 375°F oven until tender, about 45 minutes.

Boil liquid in pan until reduced to about 1/2 cup and use as a sauce for the Artichokes.

Roasting brings out the nutty flavour of Artichokes and requires the Artichokes to be pre-cooked before roasting. Use any preferred method to cook, but reduce the cooking time by amount 10 minutes. Drain well. Brush generously with olive oil or other oil of your choice, including flavored oils. You can be creative! Arrange in roasting pan and roast in 425°F oven until tender and browned, about 10 to 20 minutes, depending on size.

Place cooked and quartered Artichoke Hearts in a skillet or wok lightly coated with olive oil. Cover and sauté slowly on medium-high heat for about three minutes or until they begin to brown. Season to taste with salt, pepper and garlic.

Cut cooked Artichoke Hearts into bite-sized pieces. Dip in beaten egg, then in flour. Or, you can use your preferred choice of batter. Fry in hot oil in skillet or in deep fat fryer at 350°F, turning once, until golden brown and crisp, about 5 to 8 minutes depending on cooking source.

Cooks who use pressure cookers regularly swear this is an easy and quick way to cook any vegetable.

Place Artichokes on the rack of a pressure cooker. Add water to instructed level and any desired seasoning. Seal the cooker, let the pressure rise and cook for about 13 minutes. Cool cooker under cold water. Lift out carefully and drain Artichokes before serving.

Boiling Artichokes is a customary way of cooking Artichokes. However, boiling also extracts the most levels of healthy nutrients from the Artichoke when compared to any other cooking method. Hence, it is no longer considered to be the preferred option.

Place Artichokes in a full pot of boiling water. Boil for 25 to 40 minutes, depending on size and quantity of Artichokes being cooked.

Option: Substitute vegetable or chicken stock for water when boiling Artichokes.

Artichokes are great for cooking the day before and reheating when ready to serve. For this “time-saving step,” prepare and cook Artichokes the night before. Warm up in conventional oven as you would with any vegetable to preferred temperature.Enjoy! add to salads, tasty with a cheese sauce as an entree.