I'd love to know if there is an easier technique to deal with chopping rutabagas other than wishing I had a small chainsaw.

Also, if there is a faster technique to disassemble a broccoli or cauliflower head so that the florets still look nice, but you don't have to spend so much fiddly time dissecting them off the stalks.

Glad to hear you are one of the lucky ones! I can get away with a few, but not as much as I would like, before there are... consequences. :D

They really are gorgeous garden plants. The bees love'em, too.

My one bit of advice is that if you do plant them, use pots instead of putting them in the ground, as they will robustly spread over the years, like mint. They're also easier to harvest in pots at the end of the season.

More information: http://commonsensehome.com/before-you-plant-sunch...

pictures: https://www.google.com/search?q=sunchoke+flowers&...

You can't, really, Wendy. Sunchokes produce inulin instead of starch, and people can't digest it. Some folks are more sensitive than others, but that's about as good as it gets. In small amounts they're fine, and they do taste good. Just don't use them for a main dish. :D

http://www.bonappetit.com/columns/the-foodist/art...

Personally, instead of eating them, I just plant them. They make beautiful, tall yellow sunflowers. The ones currently growing in my garden are from a produce box I got last year!