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The Jerusalem Artichoke got the “most interesting vegetable” award (at least in my book) at the Boulder Farmers’ Market last week. I’d seen them last fall. I was even given one as a sample by a generous farmer who noticed me hovering around them with a look of befuddlement. But alas, I tucked it into one of the many pockets of my purse, where it was left to a fate of dehydration and neglect. Cleaning out my purse a few weeks later, it no longer resembled its former self. The markets were done for the season, and my Jerusalem Artichoke aspirations were placed on hold.
At the market this week, I approached a crop of Jerusalem Artichokes and hovered again, maintaining enough distance to keep the farmer from engaging with me. I listened to the comments of passers by. “Oh, it’s ginger” one woman said with confidence when a friend asked her what it was. Another said it was a sunchoke. Finally, I asked the farmer who told me it was a Jerusalem Artichoke. It’s the root of a flower that is related to a sunflower, and has nothing to do whatsoever with an artichoke. These Jerusalem Arthickokes had been left in the ground over the winter, and dug up for last weeks market.
Andrea Chesman, in her book The Garden-Fresh Vegetable Cookbook, says the Jerusalem Artichoke was native to the Americas, and first brought back to Eurpoe in the 1600s. The Italian word for sunflower is “girasole” to which some people attribute the Jerusalem part of the vegetable name. Someone thought the root tasted like an artichoke – and voila – we had the Jerusalem Artichoke. More recently, there is a movement to rename the Jerusalem Artichoke to be called the Sunchoke to make things less confusing. If there’s a petition out there…..I’ll sign it!
Andrea’s favorite preparation method for Sunchokes is to roast them. I cut them into one inch slices after scrubbing them clean. I left the skin on, but you can also slice off the nobs and peel them. I tossed them in salt and pepper and added a little garlic and put them in the oven for 15ish minutes at 500 degrees. I was not prepared for how good these sunchokes tasted. They had the texture of a roasted potato, but a more complex and rich flavor, as if I had added spices (but I hadn’t). I popped the bite size pieces into my mouth one after the other, until I had eaten an entire pint all by myself.
Note to self: sunchokes are high in fructose and have been known to produce gas as a byproduct of their metabolism – if you know what I mean. Perhaps a smaller quantity would have been a wiser choice for my first exposure to this veggie. But even still, they were so good, I will definitely be buying them again.
You can also eat them raw. I passed out samples to my husband and a group of his cycling buddies. “Like a radish without the bite,” was one comment. Another said, “good for salad, it would soak up the dressing.” Another method of preparation is to sauté them.
Here’s what the flower looks like.
Maybe I should grow a few. Though I’ve read that the tubers spread underground, and the flowers should be contained in their own bed if you don’t want them to take over the world. And that might lead me to eat pints at a time. Probably not a good idea.
Do you have a favorite Sunchoke recipe?
