Jerusalem Artichokes

Breathtaking.

These strange knobby looking roots really DO taste like artichoke hearts!

At the market, they advised me to treat them like potatoes, but they can stand proudly on their own without being compared to their lesser uprooted friends.

I had to use up the rest of the quail eggs, so I constructed this little appetizer/side dish.  I ended up having it for dinner with some ostrich paté and fresh goat cheese.

Serves 3 as a side

Ingredients:

3/4 lb sunchokes (topinambour)

some leftover chopped mushroom stems

1 tbsp butter

handful chopped fresh parsley

handful grated parmesan

salt/pepper

3 fresh quail eggs

Directions:

1.  Scrub the sunchokes well, then steam them under pressure for 10 minutes.

2.  While steaming, sautée the mushrooms in some butter and add a little salt and lots of pepper.
3.  When the sunchokes are done, rinse them and peel off the skin before adding them to the mushrooms.
4.  Mash it all together and add the parmesan and parsley.
5.  Place into individual oven dishes and crack a quail egg in each dish.
6.  Bake for 10 minutes at 400°F.

I never cease to be amazed by nature.  I do have to admit that I drizzled a bit of Habanero Olive Oil on my portion.  Not sure what I'm going to do when I run out...