Sunchokes, otherwise known as Jerusalem artichokes, are funky. They are neither from Jerusalem nor an artichoke. A tuber that grows on the underground stem of a certain species of sunflower, sunchokes look like the offspring of a potato and a knob of ginger. The taste took me back to my childhood when I used to eat raw potatoes–why I ate them raw, I’m not sure–but nonetheless, this odd root has nutty, starchy, slightly sweet undertones with a texture similar to jicama.
If you can find them during the late fall and early spring, sunchokes are a treasure. They are extremely versatile in that they can be eaten just about every which way: raw, boiled, roasted, fried, or sauteed–its paper-thin skin is edible. Once you find them, look for ones like in the picture above: light-colored, with no brown or soft spots. They are quite perishable, despite their potato-like appearance; and should be kept in the refrigerator in a brown paper bag and used within a week. Also similarly to a potato, sunchokes oxidize quickly, so if you are not going to use them right away after cutting and/or peeling, put them into a bowl of water so they do not begin to turn brown.
Roasting is always my go-to as a baseline on how something tastes–and my first attempt at prepping this unusual edible. Drizzled with a bit of olive oil and a sprinkle of salt and pepper, these were a special addition to our dinner plate. While I liked them, their unique taste can be a bit of an acquired one, as I found out when neither of my guys were fans. If at first you don’t succeed…
The next attempt was a raw application: I peeled and chopped up the sunchokes and threw them into a salad. Their crunch complemented my usual tomatoes, pine nuts and beets and was better received with my husband, but still not by my son.
My last attempt at a thumb’s up from my thirteen year-old was to add peeled, diced sunchokes to my peeled, cubed potatoes that were destined to be mashed. A little butter, cream, and later liberally seasoned with salt and pepper, we finally had a winner. A few thinly-sliced fried slices on top served as a nice textural contrast.
When wandering through a farmer’s market, my goal is to buy something new or unusual: sunchokes easily fit both criteria. After some experimentation I found a preparation that appealed to everyone in my household. It’s just about time for them to pop up again; a nutritious foodstuff with this much versatility is always a welcome addition to my seasonal produce rotation.
Be First to Comment