Jerusalem artichokes

My garden was very small this year. Actually, it was my very first garden!! I had 11 Italian tomato plants (in big pots), 6 pots of dwarf string beans, 2 pot-bound green peppers, one bucket of pot-bound leek, 2 pots of yellow onions, 5 kinds of herbs in one pot and 4 stalks of jerusalem artichoke. Last year, I had 6 pots of dwarf string beans growing on my little 3rd floor balcony so I guess that I can call it a little garden too...

A friend of mine gave me the artichokes and because they grow like weeds (are rampant), I planted them in car tires! Yes, that's right! I stacked two car tires together, filled them with really great dirt and fertilizer and stuffed the little tubers into the ground. The tubers already had long stems and lots of green leaves. For the first 2-3 weeks, I thought they would die because they wilted (even though I gave them water regularly). Then they stood up again.

My artichokes (which aren't actually artichokes, but a member of the sunflower family) flowered in September! Pretty yellow flowers, a bit like sunflowers, could be admired from the tops of these long, thick stems sporting large green leaves. And, I dug out the tubers this Friday.

I read somewhere that they are better if they are dug after a few good hard frosts. I was quite surprised to find a small bucketful just from 4 stems!! I excitedly rushed in to the house, took pictures and scrubbed them up. Then I searched for recipies.

Here is a bit of info I found. (I hope it is correct!) They have 650 mg of potassion per 1 cup serving. They are high in iron and contain 10-12% of the US RDA of fiber, niacin, thiamine, phosphorus and copper. (Taken from Wikipedia) Apparently, they can be eaten like a potato. I also read somewhere that the tubers don't have the same starch that potatoes do, but that they have inulin (not insulin). That means that they are better to eat than potatoes, for people with Diabetes. I also read that they may be difficult to digest for some people causing pain in the belly and an awful stench when emitting, umm, gas.

Well! We'll have to try it in small doses then! My friend and I looked for recipies and found some that sounded wonderful. I also found out that you can eat them raw, in stirfry, baked, steamed, or boiled. (more details at: http://www.vegparadise.com/)

SO, all that said, I will be cooking some up tonight. I left a few in the ground, knowing that they will probably be there next growing season, ready to grow, if we want to get another batch. You know, I have never seen them in our grocery stores. I wonder why.

Ah well, more adventures to come, Im sure.