What We’re Cooking With Now: Sunchokes

By Amy Reed, executive chef, Café Phipps

Looking for adventure in the kitchen? Our monthly What We're Cooking with Now post features a fresh produce ingredient, explains how to find the market's finest, and includes a recipe to try at home.

Sunchokes

Why: These knobby tubers contain protein, vitamin C, iron and dietary fiber.

Shopping Tip: Choose smooth, clean, firm sunchokes with minimal bumps and blemishes. Avoid ones with soft spots or sprouts. 

Preparation: Sunchokes can be eaten raw or cooked. Peel and slice thinly to add to salads, or roast for a potato-like quality. 

Recipe: Sunchoke and Fennel Salad

Ingredients:
6 sunchokes, peeled and sliced paper thin
1 fennel bulb, trimmed, cored and thinly sliced
1 Asian pear, cored and sliced 
2 Tbsp. rice vinegar
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
½ cup olive oil
1 Tbsp. fennel fronds 
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Put sunchokes, fennel and pear in a bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together vinegar, lemon juice, olive oil and fennel fronds. Pour vinaigrette over sunchokes and combine. Season with salt and pepper and leave in refrigerator at least 30 minutes before serving.