The Jerusalem Artichoke was brought into England  back in 1617 and John Franqueville gave two small tubers to John Goodyear.   The original name for this tuber was  Girasol and then to Girasolem and onto Jerusalem Artichoke,  is actually from North America but grew so well that it is said John Goodyear stocked all of Hampshire, [...]

While I was away last Sunday ‘the apprentice’ took over the kitchen and made this lovely winter garden soup.

Fresh from the garden;
4 carrots
4 small winter radish
2 jerusalem artichokes
1 medium leek
4 bay leaves
1 small celery head
2 ‘Rooster’ potatoes
2 ‘Pink fir apple’ potatoes – both waxy so hold together well in soups.
Olive oil to sweat the vegetables
From [...]

We have now dug up all the Jerusalem artichokes that were left in the ground as they are about to start growing again and as I had some fennel thought the two would make a lovely combination.  I added  some potato so as it doesn’t taste to ‘earthy’.  The  artichokes give the soup a beautiful [...]