I’m of the opinion that the broader our tastes are, the more enjoyment we’re likely to take in the simple act of eating, which—given how much of our lives we spend doing it—will in turn make us happier people in general. Aside from sheer curiosity, that’s why I often seek out and cook with ingredients I’ve never tried before. Hence this week’s experiment.

Sunchokes are also known as Jerusalem artichokes, which is deceptive in that they are neither from Jerusalem nor an artichoke. (Wikipedia speculates on how the name arose.) In fact they are the tuberous root of type of a sunflower native to the eastern half of the US. They look like ginger and, when roasted, taste like a lightly sweet, nutty potato.

Despite their physical resemblance to alien stick caterpillars, sunchokes are a cinch to cook. Just scrub them well to get the dirt off and slice—no need to peel. They happily play second-fiddle to more extroverted ingredients, but their delicate flavor deserves to be highlighted on its own merits as well.

The recipe below brings out their mellow, comforting sweetness without lapsing into bland territory. Here are several ways to serve it:
• As-is as a side dish for meat or fish
• Tossed with brown rice, raisins, pistachios, gorgonzola and mint and topped with an extra drizzle of olive oil
• Layer on a crusty baguette sandwich with bacon, greens, and a fried egg.
• Toss a few slices into an omelette with Gruyere cheese and mushrooms
• Mix with other roasted root vegetables (turnips, rutabagas, carrots, sweet potatoes), and/or brassicas (cauliflower, broccoli, Brussel sprouts), a couple tablespoons of grainy Dijon mustard, the juice of half a lemon, and a sprinkling of chopped fresh sage or tarragon leaves

Basic Roasted Sunchokes

4 Tbsp. olive oil
2 lbs. sunchokes, washed well but not peeled, chopped into ¼-in. thick slices
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 tsp. dried thyme leaves, crushed between your fingertips
1 tsp. dried rosemary, crushed between your fingertips
Generous sprinkling of salt
Several grinds-worth of black pepper
Dash of crushed red pepper flakes

Preheat the oven the 400 degrees F. In a shallow roasting pan, place the olive oil, sunchokes, garlic, herbs, and spices. Mix well. Bake for approximately 25 minutes, until sunchokes are tender, golden, and sizzling.

Note: This is the last regular Season’s Eating’s column. You can find me anytime on my own blog at EatwithPleasure.com.