Cold comfort food

 

    I'm not actually employed by the Jerusalem Artichoke Marketing Board (as you might think), but I do like that strange, knobbly vegetable very much and used it last night in a gratin. The original recipe comes from Sarah Raven's Garden Cookbook but I altered it slightly so it's my version which is given below. And would you believe it, every member of the family ate it (some of them even with pleasure...). But joking apart, this is very good indeed and comfortably warming for these cold days; no pictures of it, I'm afraid, but a suitably wintery tree from our walk last Sunday instead.

Thinking about the title of this post, did the Starkadders eat artichokes at Cold Comfort Farm? I doubt they did, too full of Adam's burnt porridge, but had Flora got them to scranlet Nettle Flitch or Ticklepenny's Corner for something other than swedes or beets, who knows?

Jerusalem Artichoke Gratin
(Serves 4/5)
About 4 decent-sized Jerusalem artichokes (approx. 12oz)
Similar quantity of potatoes
A little vegetable stock
Freshly grated nutmeg
Sea salt and black pepper
Cheddar cheese

Butter an ovenproof dish  - best done thoroughly or everything will stick and you'll need more than Adam's thorn twigs or even "liddle mop" to get it clean - and preheat the oven to 180C/Gas 4.
Thinly slice the artichokes and potatoes and put a layer of the two vegetables in the casserole, season and sprinkle with nutmeg, then grate on a layer of cheese (don't be heavy-handed here, I used the fine plane on the grater to give a covering such as of Parmesan on pasta). Repeat the layers until you have four in total, ending with cheese, then pour a little stock around the edge just enough to moisten the dish, not drown it. Cover and bake for about 40 minutes - I started mine off in the roasting oven and moved it down to the baking one after about 5 mins., then just before the end, take off the lid and allow to brown a bit. The vegetables should be soft but not gone to mush.

Comments

[Mary Ronan Drew]

I discovered topinanbour (sp?) when I lived in France. The texture in a salad is a delight.

I think I'll try this recipe for my book club pot luck supper.

md

[FranHB]

I was recently given rissoto made with Jerusalem artichokes by the lady I was working for. It was delightful so will tuck this recipe away too as there are plenty in the shops at present and I am always looking for new ideas for supper.