2010_01_06-RoastedSunchokes.jpgOK, you guys really have to try this. I was at the Alemany Farmer's Market recently and Jerusalem artichokes (also known as sunchokes) are in season. I've never tried this sunflower tuber, and I always enjoy trying new vegetables, so I grabbed a couple. They were quite cheap at 50 cents a pound. Once I had them in my kitchen, I decided I wanted to roast them, so I sliced them thin, added salt, olive oil, and fresh rosemary, and wow, welcome to flavor country!

These knobby tubers look a lot like ginger root. You don't need to peel them; the skin is edible. Simply scrub them clean under cold running water with a stiff brush.

Roasted Sunchokes

Ingredients:
2 to 3 large sunchokes, sliced 1/4-inch thick
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 sprig of fresh rosemary, leaves removed
3 to 4 cloves of garlic, peeled and left whole

Preparation:
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Scrub the sunchokes under cold running water and slice 1/4-inch thick. Add the sunchokes and garlic to a roasting pan or baking sheet and toss with the olive oil so the bottom of the pan and the sunchokes are lightly coated. Add more olive oil a tablespoon at a time if you don't feel like the vegetables are coated enough, but not too much; you don't want them swimming in olive oil. Sprinkle with the salt and rosemary. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the sunchokes are tender inside, like a potato.

Related:
Seasonal Spotlight: Jerusalem Artichokes, a.k.a. Sunchokes
Ingredient Spotlight: What's A Rutabaga?
Ingredient Spotlight: Mashua
Ingredient Spotlight: Oca
Strange New Vegetable: Yacon

(Image: Kathryn Hill)