Jerusalem Artichokes are just coming into season at the moment. This inexpensive yet delicious vegetable has a sweet, nutty flavour, and lends itself perfectly to soup making. Contrary to what its name suggests, the Jerusalem Artichoke originates from North America, and is famed for its vitamin C, phosphorus, potassium and iron content.

I thought I’d share one of my favourite winter recipes, ‘Jerusalem Artichoke Soup’. It just wouldn’t be the same without chopped walnuts, which give the artichokes an added luxurious kick.

Ingredients

3 knobs of butter
3 large cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1 large onion, finely chopped
750g Jerusalem artichokes
A generous handful of thyme leaves
1.1l of stock, vegetable or chicken
155g crème fraiche
350ml milk
Salt and pepper
200g walnuts, roasted for approx 10mins in an oven at 200c, so the skins rub off easily

Instructions

1) In a large pan melt the butter and gently fry the onion and garlic for 5-10 minutes.

2) Add the chopped artichokes and thyme and cook over a gentle heat for another 10 minutes.

3) Add the stock, 2/3rds of the walnuts and bring to the boil. Simmer for approx 30 minutes until the artichokes are tender.

4) Remove the soup from the heat, allow to cool, then liquidize.

5) Add the crème fraiche and milk, and season to taste. Reheat gently being careful not to boil.

6) Serve with remainder of the walnuts chopped up on top and garnished with a sprig of thyme and a swirl of cream.

I do hope you enjoy it!

We made an appearance in HELLO! Magazine’s Haute Cuisine supplement last week, with a 14-page-spread about setting up our farm, producing spelt, and our farm shop at Kilver Court, alongside some delicious recipes kindly provided by Monty and Freddie.

We bought Sharpham Park back in 2004 when it came on the market for the first time in 100 years. When deciding what to do with our 300 acre acquisition, I discovered spelt, which is an ancient alternative to wheat. Easier to digest than wheat, spelt is a very versatile ingredient. Over the years we have released a range of spelt products, including pasta, cakes, biscuits, ‘speltotto’ and breakfast granola.

The recipes in the feature make good use of some our home grown ingredients, including spelt, with ‘Fougasse Bread’ and ‘Sharpham Park Walnut Pesto’ provided by Freddie, and ‘Autumn Fruit Spelt Grumbles’, ‘Campanelle Pasta with Walnut Pesto’ and ‘Beetroot Speltotto with Goat’s Cheese and Spinach’ provided by Monty.