Winter Sunchoke “Festival”
Below freezing temperatures made harvesting a bit of a health hazard today. But about 7 of us braved the weather and had yet another exciting day of unearthing sunchokes. Few other plants are as hardy or capable of withstanding such frigid climates.
The sunchoke, or Jerusalem artichoke, is related to sunflowers and grows underground. It is also apparently one of the few plants native to North America. Sunchokes are kind of a miracle food. Some benefits:
- Vitamin C
- Phosphorous
- Potassium
- Inulin (a carbohydrate that has great prebiotic properties, i.e. it is good for intestinal health)
- Disclaimer: if you eat more than 2-ounces per serving, you may or may not get gassy
The texture is a cross between the crunchiness of water chestnuts and buttery-ness of potatoes. There are a ton of recipes out there, although it is difficult to procure at most grocery stores. I like it prepared as a mash with potatoes.
I will let pictures describe the rest of my day on the farm. Enjoy!
