Jerusalem artichokes are a great alternative to roast potatoes

Christmas first, then New Year’s celebrations, then a new year. So much eating, so much drinking. But January brings a fresh slate to food, to new visions and versions of yourself and your community. Though spring is still a little way out, we need to think about all the food that needs to go into the ground in order for those beautiful spring vegetables we expect in March and April.

For the moment, though, it’s all root vegetables. This doesn’t mean it has to be all about carrots and parsnips until the first peas and courgettes arrive. Celeriac and Jerusalem artichokes are great this time of year to add a little more spice to the dinner table.

Roasting your celeriac whole in butter and herbs creates a great dish that can compete with the best chicken or steak. Lather your celeriac in butter and thyme and then place in an oven at 180 degrees for 45 minutes. Baste intermittently with the nutty butter that flows from the celeriac. When you’re happy with the colour, add a little vegetable stock to stop the butter burning. When it’s soft (you can check by inserting a knife into it), remove from the oven and cool slightly. Carve and baste with the juices in the tray and then season with some flaky sea salt such as Achill Island or Maldon. Even as a side dish, wedges of the celeriac will pair well with fish or chicken.

Palestine soup

Jerusalem artichokes are famous for being a central element to a soup that takes it's name from Palestine. I come across it a lot in 19th-century cookbooks. Funnily enough, Jerusalem artichokes are not from Jerusalem and are not artichokes. It's a mistake of history, it seems. All you need to know it that they hail from South America and are part of the sunflower family. Hence, in North America they call them sunchokes. By the by, they make excellent roasties, as an alternative to potatoes. They're also lower on the GI index and suit low-carb diets (which are popular in January).