A few days ago I was talking to someone about how I haven’t been cooking/blogging much since we moved and I wasn’t sure why. Chris piped in that I had started The Bored Vegetarian as a creative outlet since that need wasn’t being met elsewhere (true), and that maybe Modern Kicks is just meeting that need now. Such an obvious observation that I hadn’t realized for myself. Still not ready to throw in the kitchen towel though. Got back in the kitchen this week to make a zucchini lasagna and sliced off part of my pinky on the mandolin. Three stitches later, I made something a little more simple. Don’t let anyone tell you that chopping vegetables is easy with a pinky wrapped in gauze.

This sunchoke recipe is inspired by a dish we get at Ms. Fairfax here in Newburgh. If you’ve never seen a sunchoke before, they look like the love child of a fingerling potato and ginger but taste like a starchy artichoke.

Ingredients

– 1 lb of Sunchokes, scrubbed
– 1 Shallot, thinly sliced
– 3-4 Tbsp Greek Yogurt
– 1 Tbsp fresh Dill
– 1 Tbsp fresh Mint
– 1/2 cup Red Wine Vinegar
– 1 Tbsp White Sugar
– 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
– 1/2 cup warm Water
– Salt & Pepper

Directions

Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees. Trim the sunchokes and cut into bite-size pieces. Toss in olive oil, season with salt and pepper. Roast in oven for approx 20-25 minutes or until golden brown, turning once. Whisk red wine vinegar, water, sugar and a teaspoon of salt until incorporated. Add in shallots and let sit for 30 mins until slightly pickled. Transfer sunchokes to a serving dish, top with Greek yogurt, pickled shallots and freshly chopped mint and dill. Serve warm.

I’ve just about wrapped up this year’s wedding season and am already prepping for 2017. I’m hoping this down time will encourage some time in the kitchen. You may also see some home projects pop up on the blog (more on that soon I hope.)