Quilting and Roasted Sunchokes

I have always wanted to make a quilt.

Not just any quilt.

I have always wanted to make a big, heirloom, queen sized quilt for TBHITW and my bed.

I know how to sew but I do not know how to make a quilt.

Until today.

My good friend Anne knows how to quilt (her quilts are beautiful) and she is going to teach me how to make my own. Starting today.

Yesterday we went to the fabric store and I think I died and went to heaven. The colors!! The choices!! I decided for my first quilt I would use my favorite colors, yellow and green.

I'm going to name this quilt "Summertime". The back will be a rust colored cotton reminiscent of the colors of newly turned earth. The green is like a meadow, the yellow represents the sun and the cream is the color of wheat.

Per Anne's instructions, last night while the rest of the world watched the Super Bowl, I washed, dried and ironed the fabric (Go Saints!). Today she will show me how to cut it. We are designing a "Nine Patch" quilt. Anne informs me a Nine Patch is a good beginner quilt. Eventually we will work our way up to the Ohio Star and (be still my pounding heart and aching fingers) the Log Cabin design.

This quilt will cover our bed in our new home. Eventually.

Today I become the student.

Sunchokes:

Sunchokes are in season. No, they are not pieces of ginger and no, they are not cousins of artichokes. Sunchokes (known as Jerusalem artichokes) are actually the tubers of a variety of sunflower. They are choke full of vitamin C, iron, thiamin, phosphorus and potassium.

Originally cultivated by Native Americans, sunchokes have a nutty, sweet flavor and can be used raw in salads, roasted, fried (chips!), boiled or steamed.

Grab yourself a pound of chokes, roast them up with this recipe and serve along side chicken or fish. Yum. You will be glad you did.

Roasted Sunchokes: (serves 4)

1 pound sunchokes, scrubbed (do not peel) and sliced 1/2 inch thick

3 cloves garlic, sliced

One bulb fennel, sliced into 1/2 inch slices

One 15 ounce can artichoke hearts, drained and quartered

2 tablespoons olive oil plus more for drizzling

Juice of 1/2 lemon

Salt and pepper

2 tablespoons parsley chopped (optional)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Slice the sunchokes and if not using right away, place in a bowl of cold water with juice from 1/2 a lemon (sunchokes will oxidize and turn pink)

In a heavy skillet heat the olive oil. I use my cast iron skillet. Drain and pat dry the sunchokes, add to the pan and saute over medium high heat until nicely browned on both sides.

Meanwhile, spread the artichokes and fennel out on a heavy rimmed baking sheet. Add the browned sunchokes and the sliced garlic. Toss with a little more olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast for 30 minutes until the fennel is browned and the sunchokes are soft - turning about 1/2 half way through. When finished roasting, sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve.

Thank me later - I'm off to my quilting class.

A Cook's Notes: TBHITW and I have devised a 5 year plan I am calling from City to Farm in Five. While this keeps my mind busy I'm hoping a new found love of quilting will keep my hands busy. I would ultimately like to make each bed in our new home its own quilt.

PS. A serving of Roasted Sunchokes delivers about 160 calories, 6 grams of fat and 4 grams of fiber - as best as I can figure.. remember, I am a cook, not a nutritionist. That's my disclaimer.