You say "Jerusalem Artichoke", I say "Sunchoke"...

Okay. That doesn't quite have the same lilting quality as "You say potayto, I say potahto"... still. Did you get any of Mrs. Dudley's sunchokes on Saturday? They're creating quite a stir amongst the Market foodies. (Sort of like Iron Chef goes local...) What to do with them? What are they? According to Wikipedia, sunchokes come from a species of sunflower and are native to North America, although they are cultivated around the world and used in much the same manner as other tubers. They are not native to Jerusalem and they are not a type of artichoke, though they are related. Sunchokes store the carbohydrate inulin (not to be confused with insulin) instead of starch, so they are an important source of fructose. They are also useful as a replacement for white potatoes for people who have diabetes. The tubers have a consistency much like potatoes, and in their raw form have the same taste as potatoes except with crispness and a slight powdery note. The carbohydrates give the tubers a tendency to become very soft and mushy if boiled, so it is, as with most vegetables, best to steam them lightly to preserve their texture. The inulin is not well digested by some people, leading to the misconception that sunchokes are not edible or an assumption that they cause flatulence and gastric pain. In the Baden-Württemberg, Germany, over 90 percent of the Jerusalem artichoke root is used to produce a spirit called "Topinambur", "Topi" or "Rossler". When buying sunchokes, look for the freshest roots, which are plump and vibrant in appearance. If they are left too long in the open, they become wrinkled and soft and can develop a bitter taste. Fresh ones, properly steamed, have a mild, sweet and nutty flavor that requires no additional sauce or condiment to accentuate it. So far, I've heard about plans to roast, steam, saute and puree sunchokes into soup. Personally, I plan to roast them, then toss with some slow-roasted garlic and a little grey salt. How about you? We'll be publishing some recipes using sunchokes in the coming weeks. If you have a cooking method for this Market treasure, email us -- we'd love to add your recipe!