Well, it's not a new vegetable, just new to me. I can't tell you how many times I have walked by a package of sunchokes, also called Jerusalem artichokes, wondered what they tasted like, and just moved on. I was at Roger's Gardens just before Christmas with my mom, Dorothy, and my friend Phyllis. We enjoyed the gardens, the wonderful decorations all over the gardens, and then we enjoyed a fabulous lunch at The Farmhouse. Why am I telling you all this? Because our lunch at the Farmhouse included a delicious sunchoke appetizer.
First, I must tell you about our drinks at the Farmhouse. I'm not much of a drinker, especially at lunch time, but their list of specialty drinks were so enticing, we all had one. Mine was a pomegranete margarita. So delicious. My mom had a lemon and pomegranete vodka martini. The glass rim was dipped in sugar. We were feeling good, so we ordered their special appetizer of the day, fried sunchokes sauteed with mushrooms and chimichurri sauce.
Here's how they prepared them. First they sliced them razor thin on a mandolin, then deep fried them. Then the fried sunchokes were sauteed in a pan with mushrooms and chimichuri sauce. I can't describe how great they were. I am going to Von's, one of the few places around here that carry sunchokes, to get them and experiment. They were so good. Don't be afraid to try them. They are a tubular shaped root vegetable, a member of the sunflower plant. They are native to North America and are available from late fall-early spring.
Sunchokes are high in iron, potassium and thiamin. They are low in calories, high in fiber. Their primary carbohydrate is insulin, thus they are beneficial to diabetics and pre diabetics. Their mild, sweet and crunchy flavor is similar to a water chestnut or jicama.
The Farmhouse Restaurant has a website with recipes on it, but this particular recipe is not available. I may just have to call the chef and ask for his recipe if I can't figure it out myself.
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