Autumn Delights

Most of us think of root vegetables as the ubiquitous carrots, parsnips, potatoes and turnips. But amongst this group exists some other delicious options, celeriac and jerusalem artichokes being two. Both lack the uniform shape and neatness of the more common root vegetables which may be why home cooks tend to shy away from them. However both are simple to prepare once you know how.

Celeriac

Celeriac, also known as celery root, belongs to the same family as celery, carrots and parsnip. Quite different to its cousins, this ugly ducking is a round bulbous corm with a brown warty exterior and small roots sticking out at all angles. Inside though, the crisp white interior has a flavour similar to celery.

Celeriac appears in autumn and tends to be available right through until spring. Look for examples that are not too huge as the larger ones can be soft in the centre. I prefer them about the size of a large potato. It should feel heavy and have a fresh appearance with still green stalks (generally the leaves have been removed).  Keep in the fridge for up to a week, although they will generally keep longer if stored at a low enough temperature.

During preparation treat celeriac as you would apples and once cut place the pieces in a bowl of acidulated water to prevent discolouration. Peel the celeriac thickly to remove all the warts and bumps then dice or slice as required for the recipe.

It can be eaten raw, as in the classic French remoulade, or baked, roasted or sautéed. Note that celeriac does not caramelise well as it is low in starch. My favourite way of serving it is as a purée, cooking it in salted water for 10-15 minutes and then mashing it exactly as I would for potatoes, with some butter, cream or olive oil and lots of salt and pepper.  

Jerusalem Artichokes

The jerusalem artichoke, also known as sunchoke, earth apple or by its French name of topinambur, causes much confusion. It is neither an artichoke nor is it from Jerusalem. It is in fact native to North America where it has been long known the Native Americans.  It's a species of sunflower and the thinking is that the name is a corruption of the Italian name for sunflower – girasole.

The brown tubers with purple hued knuckles look a little like fresh ginger. The crisp, white interior has a very similar flavour to that of a globe artichoke heart, nutty, sweet and quite delicious.

Like celeriac, Jerusalem artichokes are an autumn/winter vegetable. Select firm tubers with as few bumps and lumps as possible, so that peeling is easier and there is not too much waste. Store somewhere cool and dark, as you would potatoes.

Scrub and/or peel depending what you intend to do with them. Again, like celeriac, place in acidulated water to prevent discoloration.

They can be roasted whole in their skins, or steamed, boiled or sautéed. Once cooked, they tend to collapse, so careful attention needs to be given while cooking.

Jerusalem artichokes make a great soup, purée or gratin and are greatly enhanced by butter, cream, herbs. Serve roasted alongside roast beef or chicken. They can also be sliced thinly and eaten raw in salads or fried like potato crisps.

I made the soup at the weekend from what I had in the fridge and it was so delicious I thought I'd share it with you.

Jerusalem and Mushroom Soup

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 large shallots or one medium onion, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, crushed

2 or 3 rashers of streaky bacon, diced

4-5 large portobello mushrooms, sliced

500-600 grams Jerusalem artichokes (use more if there is a lot of wastage), peeled and diced

3-4 cups of good chicken or vegetable stock

sea salt and freshly ground pepper

cream and chopped parsley or chives to finish

Heat the olive oil gently in a heavy based saucepan and add the onion with a pinch of salt. Sauté until tender then add the garlic, bacon and mushrooms. Increase the heat a little in order to caramelise the bacon and mushrooms a little.

Add the artichokes, tossing to coat for a minute before adding the stock – enough to cover. Reserve the rest as you may want to thin the soup a little once it is puréed.

Bring to the boil, cover and reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook until the artichokes are soft when pierced with the point of a knife.

Allow to cool slightly then blend the soup until as smooth as possible. Adjust the seasoning and serve drizzled with a little cream and sprinkled with parsley or chives.

Serves 4

Dynamic Bio-Dynamics

My recent visit to South Australia for Tasting Australia was inspiring in more ways than one, but the one thing that really pushed my buttons was learning more about bio-dynamic (b-D) farming.

I’ve read a bit about it and a couple of years ago I visited a b-D winery on the Limestone Coast  and learned how they fill cow horns with dung and bury them to make something called 501 which they then mix with water (in a rather witch-like and very specific way) and spray on the vines.

There’s a lot more to it than that of course but it piqued my interest and dispelled any myths I might have harboured about hocus pocus and hippies. What I know just makes perfect sense – it’s about sustainably caring for the land, maximizing growing opportunities and producing food that is truly good for you.

Deb Cantrill from Nirvana Organics stirring her brew

Ulli Spranz and her husband Helmut converted their land at Paris Creek on the Fleurieu Peninsula over 30 years ago after they emigrated from Germany. They use cows’ milk from their own purely grass-fed herd and that of eight other b-D farms to make a wonderful range of yoghurt, fresh cheeses (I particularly liked the white moulded Nuage Blanc) and butter, plus a hard cheddar style.  If you visit at the right time of day, you can watch the cheese making process through large picture windows in the cheesery wall. Ulli’s enthusiasm and knowledge is so infectious you can’t help but leave all fired up about b-D.

To the east of Adelaide Deb Cantrill and Quentin Jones also decided to leave the city and create a ‘good life’ for themselves, settling on 4 hectares of blackberry infested land in the Adelaide Hills which they, very appropriately it would seem, call Nirvana.

Thirty years on their luscious valley produces an abundance of produce like chestnuts, berries, geese, and myriad unusual and forgotten fruits, such as medlar and gooseberries. The geese are not just there to look pretty. Not only do the geese keep the grass down (two geese do the work of one sheep), they tread lightly on the land with their webbed feet, minimizing damage. In addition, chickens roam free under the trees, koalas are occasionally seen perching in the gum trees and kangaroos come often to feast on the lush grass and drink from the many springs on the property. All this just 3 kilometres from the nearest town and surrounded by other homes.

Down the bottom of the garden, a grove of basket wicker trees (for Deb’s basket weaving) forms an outdoor room which in summer hosts gatherings around the central fireplace and in autumn mushrooms can be found growing underneath the orchard of hazelnut trees. 

Everything is designed to work together. The geese enjoy a diet enriched by chestnuts and other good things and when their ranks have swollen from 20 to 60, as happens each year, a plucking party is held. As they can’t be sold, anyone who plucks 3 birds gets to take one home.

Deb’s farmhouse cottage kitchen with its wood burning stove is registered for the production of jams, jellies, fruit pastes and vinegars which fill the shelves of the small farmgate shop. Eggs are available on a self serve basis down the drive at the chicken coops, next the carefully fenced vege garden. Quentin’s specialty is roasted chestnuts and he can be found every Saturday in the main street of Stirling serving these gorgeous treats in paper cones. Of course the chestnuts also make a delicious stuffing for a roasted goose.

Quentin roasting chestnuts for us to try

Tours of the farm and classes in bio-dynamics bring a steady stream of garden clubs, schools groups and heirloom fruit collectors.

Also in the Hills, in the historic town of Hahndorf, is another cheese producer using organic, b-D goat and cow milk to make great cheese. At Udder Delights store and café you can enjoy ‘picnic’ baskets of not only their cheeses, but other locally produced foods such as Hill’s Cider Co. Pear Cider, seasonal preserves and delicious glacé pears with vanilla and saffron. The goat curd and goat brie are not to be missed, as is their soft, mild blue. You can also take a cheese making class so you can make your own cheese at home. 

a selection of Udder Delights cheese

I don’t imagine I’ll be burying any muck filled cow horns any time soon in my square foot garden, although if anyone has a little bit of 501 they are willing to part with I’d be very happy to receive it.  However there are other b-D methods I can adopt such as planting by the moon, so I think I’ll start with that.

To learn more about the bio-dynamic principals of farming and growing check out this site