Sunchoke and Cauliflower Salad
Over the past nine months or so, those of us that live in Potomac, a suburb of Washington D.C., have watched a local epicurean market open and grow. It is not ironic that it’s been around nine months because that seems to be the time needed for something special to evolve from a mere kernel.
Potomac Grocer is a welcome addition to our little village which has become overrun with banks due to high, unsustainable rents. It’s the epitome of an upscale local market, selling all the things you need for the night’s dinner or the actual prepared meal if you’re not up to cooking.
The following recipe is one that I requested from Potomac Grocer (a lovely perk of writing a food blog) after tasting it at someone’s house. I adapted the chef’s quantities to suit a home cook’s proportions. The end result is a fantastic combination of earthy vegetables, sweet garlic and salty cheese. The Cauliflower and Sunchoke Salad is equally delicious eaten straight from the oven as it is at room temperature.
For those who are unfamiliar with sunchokes, they look very much like ginger root, as you can see in this photo:
Sunchokes
Sunchokes, also called Jerusalem Artichokes–probably because they taste somewhat like the heart of an artichoke, are tubers of a plant in the sunflower family. They can be eaten with the skin on or peeled, raw and thinly sliced, roasted, sautéed or pureed. Sunchokes are high in iron and fiber and are low in calories. They are more popular in Europe than they are here in America but I think that recipes such as this Sunchoke and Cauliflower Salad can change all that. Enjoy!
Sunchoke and Cauliflower Salad
- 1 lb sunchokes, washed and cut into chunks
- 1 head cauliflower, cut into florets the same size as sunchokes
- 3 Tbls olive oil
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 c grated Parmesan Reggiano
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
- 2 Tbls fresh parsley, minced
- Preheat oven to 425F.
- Toss sunchokes, cauliflower, olive oil, garlic, cheese, salt and pepper and let marinate while the oven is heating.
- Spread mixture on a oil-sprayed baking sheet being sure not to overcrowd (if you overcrowd the cauliflower won't brown).
- Roast 20 minutes, toss and roast for another 10-15 minutes. The cauliflower should be lightly charred.
- Remove from the oven, toss with parsley and serve.
- This salad can be served warm or at room temperature.
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January 13, 2015 @ 9:57 pm
I loved this and i had never cooked sun chokes before. We ate it warm.
November 3, 2014 @ 8:18 am
Yummy! I will give it a try