Roasted Sunchoke Hummus

Roasted Sunchoke Hummus packs in the flavor for a perfect snack.
Roasted Sunchoke Hummus packs in the flavor for a perfect snack.
written by Thor Erickson | photography by Tambi Lane

I was drenched with sweat as I neared the end of my sweltering drive to Brownsville.

The AC in my old Toyota pickup meant cranking the windows down. The best produce in Oregon, used by the best restaurants in the nation, is grown in this tiny pocket of the Willamette Valley, and I was here to convince the farmer to sell it to my restaurant. I rehearsed my pitch as I pulled onto the dusty road leading to George Weppler’s farm.

As I got out of my truck, George emerged from a field where beautiful purple lettuce and sunflowers were growing. He greeted me with a firm handshake. “Swim with me!” he said in a raised voice as he shed his dusty clothes leaving nothing but a neckerchief and a straw hat.

He gestured to the irrigation pond that resembled a murky pool of chocolate milk and jumped in. This produce was really something special—pristine baby eggplants, bright purple spinach, candy-striped beets that looked like starlight mints. These special plants had been reserved for only the best temples of cuisine in the nation—New York, Chicago, San Francisco. This was my only chance to pass the qualifying test. I had no choice. I shed my clothes and plunged into the murky pond.

After cooling down in the murky water, I attempted to share with George my plans for his creations when a bell rang from the main house. “Lunch time!” called George’s wife, Fran.

Lunch was perfect. A composed salad showcasing some of Weppler’s tender arugula, cress, orach and pea shoots followed by freshly baked bread accompanied by a sweet, earthy purée made from sunflower roots, also known as Jerusalem artichokes or sunchokes.

After lunch, George had to rush back to his work on the farm. “Have a great trip home,” he said as I exchanged hugs with him and Fran.

As I drove back, I realized I never got to explain my case to George. A week later six large mystery boxes arrived at the back kitchen door. They were the start of weekly care packages, all carefully curated by George. To this day the best I have ever seen … and tasted.

Here’s my interpretation of Fran Weppler’s sunchoke spread.

Roasted Sunchoke Hummus

Ingredients:

  1. 1 pound sunchokes, scrubbed clean
  2. ¾ teaspoon coriander seeds
  3. ¾ teaspoon fennel seeds
  4. 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
  5. ¼ teaspoon crushed red chili flakes
  6. ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
  7. 1 cup canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  8. 1 clove garlic, coarsely chopped
  9. ¼ cup tahini
  10. ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
  11. Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  12. ½ tablespoon coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley
  13. Carrot sticks, roasted sweet potato wedges or pita, for serving

Instructions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Spread the sunchokes on a large, rimmed baking sheet, and tightly cover with foil. Bake until the sunchokes are very soft, about 45 minutes. Transfer the sheet to a rack and set aside, leaving them covered to let them steam until cool enough to handle. Uncover, then use your hands to peel the sunchokes, discarding the peels.
  2. In a small skillet over medium heat, toast the coriander and fennel seeds until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the paprika and chili flakes and cook, stirring, for 30 more seconds. Scrape the spices into a blender along with the olive oil, and blend until very smooth (or use a mortar and pestle). Let the spices steep in the oil for 30 minutes.
  3. In a food processor, combine the chickpeas and garlic, and purée until smooth. Add the cooked sunchokes along with the tahini and lemon juice, and purée until very smooth, at least 2 minutes. Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Scrape the hummus into a shallow serving bowl. Drizzle with the reserved paprika oil, sprinkle with parsley and serve with carrot sticks, sweet potato wedges or pita, for scooping.

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