Sunchokes

On a whim, I bought sunchokes; something I have never tried before.  I have been hearing good things about them lately, nutritionally speaking.  Turns out they are ugly and small.  I haven't determined yet if they need to be peeled, but I hope not, they are small and oddly shaped; they look really hard to peel.  In cooking, I have found success by following recipes as closely as possible the first time I prepare them.  But, I have been getting better at intuitive cooking.  So, today I am wimging it with sunchokes.  The name and appearance of these roots should turn anyone away.  But I'm trying to be more adventurous.  I am going to prepare a recipe like the one listed on this link, herb sunchoke au gratin.  I have all of the ingredients, except that I am going to use rutabaga instead of potatoes.  Any my thyme keeps dying, or getting eaten by bugs, so I only have oregano and rosemary, maybe cilantro.  We'll see how it turns out.

**UPDATE:  They do not need to be peeled, but they should be cooked thoroughly.  This version turned out hard and dry. It was not good and most of it got tossed out...next time I will parboil them before I do anything.