5 Ways to Eat More (Winter) Veggies: Jerusalem Artichokes

Dear BA Foodist,

I've officially got the winter cooking blues. I'm so sick of cooking potatoes and Brussels sprouts. Any vegetable suggestions to tide me over until asparagus season?

Sally Degage, Princeton, New Jersey

Dear Sally,

Because of ingredient availability, cooking in winter can be more challenging than in spring and summer. Perhaps you are buying the wrong vegetables. There's a whole world of unsung winter vegetables that are increasingly available in supermarkets across America. To inspire you, I've listed my favorite winter vegetables along with recipes from five great chefs. We began with cardoons, yesterday was celeriac, and today is all about Jerusalem artichokes (a.k.a sunchokes), which look like bumpy potatoes. They're great raw or slightly cooked.

Smashed Jerusalem artichokes with black winter truffle
from Michael Tusk at Quince, San Francisco

1 pound Jerusalem artichokes
1 tablespoon salt
3 1/2 tablespoons butter
1/2 ounce shaved black winter truffle (or 1/2 cup of sauteed wild mushrooms as topping)

1) Clean and scrub Jerusalem artichokes.
2) Slice Jerusalem artichokes into 1/2 inch slices and cover with water.
3) Add half of the salt to the water and bring to simmer.
4) Cook until the Jerusalem artichokes are tender, about fifteen minutes. Drain.
5) With heat on low, dry the sunchokes on top of the stove in the same pot they were cooked. When all moisture is removed add the butter and black winter truffle, if using.
6) Mash the sunchokes with a fork and season with the remaining salt. Top with sauteed mushrooms if using instead of black truffle.

Serve warm with fish, shellfish, or poultry.

*Monday, a recipe for rutabaga, followed by salsify.

Related Recipes:

• Chunky Jerusalem Artichoke and Potato Mash
• Brioche-Crusted Fish with Jerusalem Artichoke Puree and Jerusalem Artichoke Pickles
• Jerusalem Artichoke Pickles

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