Sunchokes

by Shauna Sever — March 31, 2008

Also called Jerusalem artichokes, sunchokes look nothing like the artichokes we're used to, and they aren't from Jerusalem! Though they're a member of the sunflower family, sunchokes are definitely not a looker in the produce department and are actually a tuber, a sturdy root veggie like potatoes, and just as versatile. Their knobby, rough skins resemble ginger root in texture and also in their range of colors, from a dark to a light brown.

If you want to start playing around with sunchokes, season and cook them in the same way you might potatoes--baking them whole, roasting, frying, even mashing with a half sunchoke, half potato mixture, brings out the earthy, distinct flavors of sunchokes. But they're also delicious raw, though something entirely different--sweet and nutty, almost like a water chestnut.

After peeling the thick skin (though the skin is perfectly edible when well-scrubbed), one of the simplest ways to enjoy sunchokes is by sautéing them on the stovetop in a bit of olive oil until browned and then sprinkled with rosemary, salt, and pepper. The crispy outside yields to a creamy, tender center that will have you looking for these in the markets from fall until late spring.