Sunchokes (a.k.a. Jerusalem Artichokes)

Despite the fact that one of the sunchoke’s official names is the Jerusalem artichoke, it isn’t related to the artichoke (or Jerusalem) at all. The sunchoke is actually related to the sunflower and is native to North America. Basically, the sunchoke is having an identity crisis. The ginger-looking tuber (an outgrowth of a stem) contains no oil and is high in protein, making this a popular substitute for potatoes. The best part? You don’t have to peel these before roasting (though you can, if you prefer). We like doing a simple roasted sunchoke and have shared the recipe below, but here are some other ways to use these fun tubers:

Thinly slice them and toss them in your salad, like in this Sunchoke, Apple and Fennel Salad recipe.
Combine them with your mashed potatoes like we did in this Smashed Sunchoke and Huckleberry Potatoes recipe.
The Asian-inspired sauce in this dish is a perfect complement to the earthy sunchokes here: Honey and Soy Glazed Sunchokes
Sunchokes make a wonderful addition to soups, like we did here: Garlicky Sunchoke Soup

Herb Roasted Sunchokes

Ingredients:
1 pound sunchokes
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon rosemary, minced
salt to taste

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Scrub the sunchokes and remove any excess stringy bits. Drizzle the olive oil over the top and toss to coat. Sprinkle with salt and rosemary. Bake the sunchokes for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the sunchokes turn golden brown.

Serve warm and enjoy!