FROM THE GARDEN

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Cardoons may look like killer celery, but they are in fact a perennial with spiny gray—green foliage and purple thistle—like flowers that can grow to five feet and are closely related to the globe artichoke. The cardoon is native to southern Europe and is prized for its unique flavor. The French first grew it as a vegetable and Quakers brought it to America in the late 1700s. I pull off the fibrous outer stalks and blanch it in salt water before cooking my favorite dishes with it. They pair well with Parmesan cheese, butter, lemon and white truffles and are best when simmered, fried or braised. My favorite recipe is a fried cardoon appetizer that I serve with a tarragon dipping sauce.

Jerusalem artichokes, or sunchokes, are a tuber from a plant that is related to the sunflower. They were cultivated by Native Americans, who called them "Sun Roots," and have nothing at all to do with Jerusalem or artichokes. When Europeans first discovered them they called them girasole, the Italian word for sunflower. Over time the name girasole transformed into Jerusalem, and to avoid confusion people have begun to refer to the plant as sunchoke, which is closer to the original Native American name. These vegetables are easy to grow and harvest. They look like kiwi—sized gnarled potatoes or ginger root. The freshest roots are plump and firm and have a mild, sweet and nutty flavor. They are very high in iron and contain a good amount of fiber. You can store these tubers in the refrigerator, unwashed, in a plastic bag for up to one week. Eaten raw, sunchokes taste sweet and crunchy like a chestnut, but when cooked their flavor changes to more of a potato and artichoke flavor. I like them roasted with olive oil and rosemary, as a soup or shaved into an artichoke and fennel salad.