Lemony Jerusalem Artichoke Stew with Biscuit Top

It's hard to imagine amid the snow and high winds of last week, but we used to have a vegetable garden. Remember that? Tomatoes, potatoes, little helpers, and a chicken chaser? Among those summer and fall vegetables we also planted Jerusalem artichokes. I've heard them described as the lazy gardener's dream. Well.

But they did grow beautifully and they are said to be best after they have been through a frost. It is very exciting to have something to harvest in the middle of winter, so this has been a delight. If you have not grown your own, you can find them at the grocery store this time of year. They look a lot like ginger roots, but are generally larger and knobbier. Although they are called artichokes, they are actually related to sunflowers.

I had never eaten Jerusalem artichokes until we harvested this batch. The flavor is starchy, like a potato, with just a touch of sweetness, which must be how they got artichoke in the name.

We had eaten some of them just roasted in the oven which were delicious, although it was key to cut them all the same size to enable them to cook at the same rate. I was hankering for a warm dish for winter, though, so I dreamed up this stew. The lemon peel and marjoram add brightness to the winter vegetables.

I put the biscuit on top of the stew as an inducement. I thought that anything topped with something from the bread family would get my kiddies to try it. It succeeded as far as the trying went. Finishing it was another story. Chloe didn't like the stew at all; Oscar ate most of it, but said that he would have preferred the biscuit alone. Fortunately, I had made a double batch of the biscuit so I could indulge him and still have some left for breakfast. Olivia ate hers, although I did not sense wild enthusiasm. No matter. They won't go for everything. Sometimes we parents need dinner to nurture us, too, and a biscuit with a veggie or fruit on the side isn't the worst meal in the world for the younger set.

The seed catalogs have started to arrive too, so we will soon decide what to plant at our garden this year. As for those artichokes? I understand that once planted, they are impossible to get rid of. In other words, more Jerusalem artichoke recipes may be coming your way.

Second Helping: Wasabi and Garlic Mashed Potatoes (mild enough for the kids, but delicious)
Thirds?: Rosalyn's Trinidadian Chick Pea and Potato Curry (I'm fairly certain that my children would sell me out for a dinner of this curry, especially if it were served with roti)

Lemony Jerusalem Artichoke Stew with Biscuit Top

Jerusalem artichokes can be a nuisance to peel, so don't go crazy trying to do it. I peeled where I could and left the rest of the peels on, and the skin was not at all an impediment.

Serves 8
30 minutes preparation time
45 minutes cooking time

For the stew:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large sweet onion, diced
1 leek, white and light green part, sliced lengthwise, rinsed, and sliced across into half moons
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
4 medium carrots, scrubbed and sliced across on a diagonal
1 turnip, peeled and cut into cubes
2 cups peeled and seeded butternut squash (about 1 small one)
4 cups (roughly) peeled and chopped Jerusalem artichokes
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh marjoram
2 strips lemon zest
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
5 cups vegetable stock

For the biscuit top:
2 cups all purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dried thyme
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) cold butter, cut into a few pieces
3/4 cup buttermilk

Heat the olive oil in a heavy, oven-proof stockpot over medium heat. Add the onion, leek, and garlic, and sauté until they begin to soften, about 7 minutes. Add the remaining vegetables, the marjoram and the salt and stir together. Pour on the broth, add the lemon zest, and raise the heat to medium high. Bring the stew to a boil. When it begins to boil, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer on the stove top until the vegetables are just tender, 10 to 15 minutes.

While the stew is cooking, prepare the biscuit dough. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. 

Sift together the flour, baking powder, salt, and thyme in a large bowl.  Mix in the butter with your hands, squeezing it between your fingers until it is the texture of coarse cornmeal.  The more hands that help, the quicker this will go.  Slowly stir in the buttermilk a bit at a time, using just enough to get the mixture to hold together.  You may need a splash more or less than the measured amount. 

Knead the dough for about a minute.  Pat it out on the counter until it is about 3/4 of an inch thick. Carefully lift the dough and drape it over the top of the stew pot. Move it to the oven and bake until the dough is golden brown, about 12 to 15 minutes.

Serve immediately. 

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Comments

[Andrea]

My attempts to grow artichokes have been a resounding failure. Maybe I'll try Jerusalem artichokes instead!

[Margy]

Consider separating them from other crops, though, because apparently they can take over. What a shame about the traditional artichokes. I can only imagine how delicious they would be plucked directly from the garden.