Even though I do not know where we will be next year I transplanted four Jerusalem artichokes, also known as Sunchokes from Aunt Donna’s garden.  They are delicious and easy to grow.  They are easy to transplant and are perennial.  Perennials are the back bone of a garden.  Even if annuals get wiped out during storm or rabbit frenzy, perennials weather through then come back and feed the family.

These beautiful plants are members of the sunflower family (my favorite).  Their stories date back beyond the civil war.  They look like sunflowers but when you dig up their roots in the fall they show off potato-like orbs.  Just snap them off and store in the fridge.  They taste like a cross between potatoes and jicama.  They are as good mashed into potatoes as they are sliced thin in salads.  They are a great source of potassium and offer protein and inulin as well.

I like them in soups, stirfrys, mashed, sliced, raw with most of the dirt wiped off on one’s apron, or along with vegetables being slow roasted with maple syrup.

Jerusalem artichokes are a lovely addition to any garden.