The first time we went to Rome, we absolutely gorged ourselves on all the delicious food. As foodies, we had scoped out all the places beforehand that are known for fantastic pizza, pasta and Roman specialities. But what really blew us away was the quality of the produce – the tomatoes, the mozzarella and the artichokes! The artichokes!  We hadn’t eaten artichokes before and on our waiter’s recommendation, we ordered them raw, thinly sliced and covered in shavings of Parmesan and olive oil. It was divine – probably one of our favourite Roman dishes.

So cut to this week – we’re both recovering from last week’s illnesses (see the Comfort Food post) and thinking about foods that don’t irritate us. We had picked up some knobbly, funny-looking Jerusulaem artichokes from the farmer’s village a week ago and it seemed like the perfect opportunity to reminisce about Rome. This soup is super creamy and comforting and yummy…excuse us while we book another trip to Italia!

Makes 4 portions

1 generous tbsp of ghee
11 (or perhaps an even number if you want!) Jerusalem artichokes, peeled and cubed
2 charlotte potatoes, cubed
1 1/2 cups fresh chicken stock
2 cups water
salt to taste
1/2 tsp nutmeg

Olive oil and shavings of Parmesan to decorate

1. In a heavy bottomed sauce pan, melt the ghee on medium heat.
2. Then, add the cubed artichokes and potatoes and cook them for 20-25 minutes until soft. Remember to turn the heat to low and cover so that the process is quicker!
3. When the vegetables are cooked, take the cover off. Then, add the chicken stock, water, salt and nutmeg and turn the heat up so that the water starts to boil.
4. Once the water is boiling, turn the heat down to a simmer and cook for a further 15 minutes.
5. Enjoy immediately with a splash of olive oil and shavings of Parmesan.

So what do you think? Feel free to share your questions and comments below! We’d love to hear what you have to say.