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This is a recipe for a crosnes, smoked trout, and sunchoke salad. Who says that just because it is Fall everything has to be heavy? This salad is like a party in your mouth, and all of the ingredients (except for the dressing) are local. For added flavor we serve the salad atop a sunchoke puree. That is an optional step, but it is highly recommended. Crosnes are small little tubers that are Asian in origin, but prized in France, where they get their name. If you can't find crosnes, add another vegetable you find at the market, or some diced up sunchokes. The idea is to be creative, and try something new.

½ cup crosnes (small tubers)
1 large sunchoke, or two small ones, well rinsed
1 small watermelon radish, peeled and sliced in half
1 carrot, peeled
1 small filet of smoked trout (you will use one side only)
1 small handful fresh cilantro, rinsed and dried
1 lemon

For the Lemon Flaxseed dressing:
1 tablespoon flax seeds
Juice of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons flaxseed oil
1 teaspoon honey
Salt to taste

Chop up the sunchokes and cover with water and a pinch of salt in pot. Bring to a boil and cook through until completely soft. Drain and set aside to cool. Puree the flesh in a food processor with the juice of the lemon and some salt. You can also simply fork mash the ‘chokes as well.
Meanwhile, cover the crosnes with water in a pot and bring to a boil. Cook for a few minutes and drain. They should still have a little bit of crunch to them.
Slice one half of the watermelon radish in thin slices horizontally, so that you get thin half circles. You will only need about ¼ of the radish. Reserve the rest for another use.
Grate the carrot using a cheese grater or a food processor.
Combine the crosnes, radish, and carrots together in a bowl.
Take the smoked trout and slice out one side. Flake the meat and add to the bowl.
Toss with 1-2 tablespoons of dressing and store the rest in the fridge for another salad.
Roughly chop up the cilantro and add to the salad.
Divide the sunchoke puree onto two plates and smooth it out into a circle.
Divide up the salad atop the puree and serve.
Serves 2.

For the Lemon Flaxseed Dressing:
Blend together the flaxseeds and lemon juice. Add the flaxseed oil and honey and blend until thick. Season to taste with salt.