Christmas

Sunchokeย Tart

March  6, 2011
5
1 Ratings
  • Makes one 10 to 11-inch tart
Author Notes

Sunchokes (aka Jerusalem Artichokes) are a great winter root vegetable. They are native to North America and related to sunflowers. The tubers taste best after at least one hard frost, and they can be harvested anytime the ground is not frozen. When raw they are somewhat like water chestnuts, and when cooked their flavor is reminiscent of artichoke hearts.
For this tart I used a corn flour rosemary crust with a roasted sunchoke, leek, and pancetta filling. I am able to harvest rosemary from my garden year round, so I like to use it in the winter when the more tender herbs are sleeping. The rosemary perfumes the crust and the cornflour lends some nice texture. The filling is a combination of roasted sunchokes, leeks, cheese and pancetta. The sunchokes are the star of this dish, and the rest of the ingredients make a great cast of supporting characters! I think a slice of this combined with a salad would be a perfect late winter lunch or light supper. —hardlikearmour

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • Tart Crust
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2/3 cup whole grain corn flour or fine corn meal
  • 3/4 teaspoon table salt
  • 2 teaspoons sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary (chop an additional 1/2 teaspoon for the filling)
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cold and cut into 1/4-inch slices
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/4 cup ice cold water
  • Sunchoke Tart
  • 1 pound sunchokes, scrubbed well
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon sugar
  • 3 ounces pancetta (or substitute bacon)
  • 1 small to medium leek
  • 6 ounces smoked or regular whole milk mozzarella
  • 4 ounces gouda (smoked if using regular mozzarella)
  • 1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
Directions
  1. Tart Crust
  2. Combine dry ingredients in bowl of food processor. Pulse several times to combine. Scatter butter over the dry ingredients. Pulse to combine, until mixture is crumbly looking like coarse sand with some pea-sized pieces of butter. Scrape down sides of bowl. Combine egg and water, and mix thoroughly. Drizzle the egg and water mixture over the dough, and pulse just until dough begins to collect into clumps. Scrape down bowl at least once during the process to ensure everything is well mixed.
  3. Dump dough into a 10- or 11-inch non-stick tart pan, then use your hands to pat it out. Cover the bottom and sides of the tart pan with an even layer of dough. Refrigerate until ready to assemble tart.
  1. Sunchoke Tart
  2. Heat oven to 400ยบ F with rack in lower middle position. Cover rimmed baking sheet with foil. Dice sunchokes into 1/2-inch sized pieces. Place in medium bowl, and toss well with olive oil, black pepper, and sugar. Spread sunchokes on prepared baking sheet in a single layer. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring once, until they are soft and starting to brown. Remove from oven and set aside.
  3. Dice pancetta. Place in small frying pan, and heat over medium heat until most of fat has rendered out and pancetta is crisp. Drain on paper towel and set aside. (Reserve fat for another use if desired.)
  4. Split leek in half lengthwise. Rinse well between the leaves to make sure no grit remains. Slice leek into thin half moons. Measure out 2/3 cup, and reserve remaining leek slices for a different use. Set aside.
  5. Shred mozzarella. Set aside. Cube gouda into about 1/4-inch dice. Set aside.
  6. To assemble tart, remove tart shell from refrigerator. Sprinkle crust with mozzarella. Scatter leeks, sunchokes, pancetta, rosemary, and cubed gouda in an even layer over the mozzarella.
  7. Bake for approximately 22 to 25 minutes, rotating pan about halfway. The crust should be light brown and the cheese should be melted, bubbling and just starting to brown. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack for 5 to 10 minutes before serving. Alternately cool to room temperature before serving.

See what other Food52ers are saying.

  • LeBec Fin
    LeBec Fin
  • frances
    frances
  • TheWimpyVegetarian
    TheWimpyVegetarian
  • Sarah Plumley
    Sarah Plumley
  • meetsaucygirl
    meetsaucygirl
I am an amateur baker and cake decorator. I enjoy cooking, as well as eating and feeding others. I live in the beautiful Pacific Northwest with my husband and our menagerie. I enjoy outdoor activities including hiking, mushroom hunting, tide pooling, beach combing, and snowboarding.

42 Reviews

LeBec F. January 30, 2016
hla, i would really like to be a tester for this but i may do that unofficially because i'm not v deadline-dependable lately. But I would like to ask you- I know you put alot of thought into your recipes- what made you choose cornmeal and not whole wheat -for your crust? Was it texture, or do you just prefer the flavor pairing of corn and jer. artichokes? Thx.
 
hardlikearmour January 30, 2016
Thanks for your interest. I'm not 100% sure why I went with the corn. Likely because I had it and because the tart reminded me of a thick crust pizza in a way.
 
LeBec F. January 30, 2016
HAHA! I KNEW IT! Def headed for the big time.congrats hla.
 
LeBec F. January 23, 2016
Man, how have i not made this yet. That is just totally ridiculous. I am so making this soon. And beyond all the many great things about this recipe, you deserve three medals (at least) for not instructing to "peel the artichokes"!
 
frances March 19, 2014
One of the best ways to prepare sunchokes I've found!
 
LeBec F. April 22, 2013
Very well designed recipe. How this got passed over for Winner or even CP-is beyond me.
 
hardlikearmour April 22, 2013
Thank you!
 
TheWimpyVegetarian March 11, 2011
I love sunchokes! And I love this tart! It's got so many of my favorite things in it. And I like putting some rosemary in my crusts too. I just read the discussion around peel vs scrub. I used to peel mine, but switched to a good scrubbing with something slightly abrasive like a plastic scrubby thing for dishes. The skin seemed thin enough to remove (for the most part). I might be affecting the texture somewhat, but what a huge timesaver!! I'm adding this tart to our menu for our week in the mountains!
 
hardlikearmour March 11, 2011
That's exactly what I used for scrubbing, and for some of the crevices a toothbrush. If you get a chance to try it, let me know how it goes. I still may tinker with the crust, though I'm pretty happy with it now (it's gone through a few iterations!) I really like the flavor, but am certainly biased.
 
Sarah P. March 10, 2011
Not sure I can get sunchokes around where I live. Think I could sub artichoke hearts? Also, I'm guessing "whole grain corn flower" is the same as cornmeal?
 
Sarah P. March 10, 2011
Ok nevermind. I just googled sunchoke. Nothing at all like an artichoke. :0/
 
hardlikearmour March 10, 2011
I'd probably sub yukon gold potatoes and dice a can of artichoke hearts as a sub. The cornflour is much more finely ground than cornmeal.
 
meetsaucygirl March 8, 2011
I'm excited to try this recipe! My local store has been stocking them lately and I have been looking for a creative way to use them!
 
hardlikearmour March 8, 2011
Let me know if you try it! I'd never used sunchokes before, and am glad I tried.
 
nannydeb March 8, 2011
Mmmm, gouda and smoked mozzarella...
 
hardlikearmour March 8, 2011
cheese Gromit, cheese!
 
AntoniaJames March 7, 2011
What a great recipe! Love the gouda and smoked mozza combo. I'm so going to make this. ;o)
 
hardlikearmour March 7, 2011
Thanks, AJ. I tried multiple cheese combos, and the gouda w/ smoked mozz was our favorite.
 
Lizthechef March 7, 2011
Most original - now I finally know what a "sunchoke AKA Jerusalem arttichoke" is!
 
hardlikearmour March 7, 2011
They're surprisingly delicious, though I defiitely like them cooked more than raw.
 
singing_baker March 7, 2011
silly question are sunchokes the same thing as Jerusalem artichokes??
 
hardlikearmour March 7, 2011
Yes. I should've added that to the header.
 
kmartinelli March 7, 2011
I was just about to roast some sunchokes/Jerusalem artichokes to add to a haloumi salad for dinner...but now I may have to rethink my plans! Looks fab.
 
hardlikearmour March 7, 2011
If you try it, let me know how it goes. I still may tinker with the crust and cheese proportions before the deadline, so input would be greatly appreciated.
 
SKK March 7, 2011
Wow - an adventure with a happy ending! Always curious about sunchokes, and this is a guaranteed win. Thank you!
 
hardlikearmour March 7, 2011
Thanks, SKK! I am happy with the result.
 
cheese1227 March 6, 2011
I've only had sunchokes sliced thin and fried and sprinkled with salt. This looks like a healthier option for me!!
 
hardlikearmour March 6, 2011
I don't know about healthier! It's pretty calorie dense.
 
boulangere March 6, 2011
This DOES look wonderful, hardlikearmour! I haven't used sunchokes in years. I especially love the idea of polenta in the crust. I also like to use a bit of rice flour in a crust for a kind of mysterious crunch. Thank you!
 
hardlikearmour March 6, 2011
I used the Bob's Red Mill whole grain corn flour. It gives it a nice texture. I tried with medium grind cornmeal, but it was a bit too crunchy.
 
gingerroot March 6, 2011
Beautiful, and sounds absolutely delicious. I will definitely keep my eye out for sunchokes at the market. Thanks for another terrific recipe!
 
hardlikearmour March 6, 2011
Thanks! I hope you can find some, they're really tasty.
 
monkeymom March 6, 2011
What a great idea! I never know what to do with sunchokes.
 
hardlikearmour March 6, 2011
Thanks, monkeymom! I've been thinking about trying them for awhile, so this seemed like a great opportunity. So glad I did, too, because they're yummy.
 
Midge March 6, 2011
Absolute yum! I've never cooked with sunchokes, but you've inspired me.
 
hardlikearmour March 6, 2011
You should try them!
 
mrslarkin March 6, 2011
Holy moly! That thing is gorgeous. And sounds really yummy. I'm back to square one. :)
 
hardlikearmour March 6, 2011
Thanks, mrslarkin! I'm really glad I decided to try sunchokes, they are delish.