Things To Do With Celery Root

Believe it or not, this strange looking tuber is actually edible! It’s called celery root or celeriac and is actually tastier than it looks. It is quite popular in French cuisine and is beginning to catch hold in America. As you might guess, it is related to celery. The main difference is that most of the celery root’s growing effort goes into the root. The stalks are not very edible and should be discarded, but the root can be peeled like a turnip and added to recipes like salads and soups. It tastes a lot like a stronger version of celery with a dash of parsley, can be used for anything you would normally add celery to and can be stored in the fridge for up to a week.

Regrowing Celery Root

Regrow this tuber? Sure. Think of it as a type of recycling. Rather than pay the money to have celeraic shipped to your door or toss the tops, why not try regrowing it for more fun with celery root?

Growing Celery Root

Because celery root takes up to 200 days to mature, you should start celery root seedlings at least two months before the last frost. When the weather is warm enough, transplant them to a sunny part of your garden with mildly acidic, compost rich soil. Plant seedlings about 6 to 8 inches apart. Keep the roots covered while they grow and trim the feeder roots on a regular basis. When the root is about baseball sized, it should be ready to harvest.

Preparing Celery Root

Celeriac Salad

Ingredients:

• 1 celery root peeled and cut into 1″ cubes
• juice from 1/2 lemon
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 1/2 tsp creamed horseradish
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon fresh dill chopped
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 2 green onions thinly sliced
• fresh parsley chopped
• salt and pepper to taste

Method:

Place celery root cubes in saucepan. Cover with water and lemon juice and cook until it starts to turn tender. Drain and set aside to cool. In a separate bowl, combine vinegar, mustard, horseradish, water, sugar and dill. Gradually whisk in olive oil until mixture is creamy. Pour mixture over the celery root, add salt and pepper to taste and mix well. Add green onions and parsley as a garnish. Chill for a day to allow flavors to blend. Serve cold.

Rosemary Roasted Celery Root

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds celery root cut into 1″ cubes
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp cracked black pepper
• 2 teaspoons fresh rosemary or 1/2 tsp dried rosemary crushed
• 16 ounces baby carrots
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Method:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees Farenheit. Toss celery root, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1/4 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper, and rosemary in large bowl until evenly coated. Spoon into one side of a casserole baking pan and bake for 15 minutes. In same bowl, toss carrots with remaining salt and pepper and the vanilla until coated evenly. Spoon carrots into casserole pan and bake for 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes until vegetables are crisp-tender. Toss vegetables together into a serving dish and serve warm.

Martha Stewart’s Celery Root and Apple Slaw

Ingredients:

• 1 celery root trimmed peeled and cut into matchstick-sized pieces
• 1 Granny Smith apple chopped into matchstick-sized pieces
• 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon fresh apple cider
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 2 teaspoons fresh parsley chopped

Method:

Place all ingredients in a bowl and toss until evenly mixed. Chill in fridge for at least half an hour before serving.

Celery Root Soup

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 leeks cleaned and chopped
• sea salt to taste
• 2 cloves garlic peeled and thinly sliced
• 1 large (3-pound) celery root peeled and chopped
• 3 cups chicken stock and 3 cups water or 6 cups water
• 1 to 1/2 tsp freshly ground white pepper (regular black pepper will work if you can’t find white)
• scant 1/8 tsp chili powder

Method:

In large pot, melt butter with olive oil. Add leeks; sauté, stirring often, for about 5 minutes. Add garlic cloves and salt; cook until garlic and leeks are translucent. Add a little more butter or olive oil or they start to stick or bottom of pot starts to turn brown. Add celery root and chicken stock or 3 cups water. Bring to a boil, and then reduce heat so that you have a strong simmer. Cook for about 45 minutes until you can easily pierce the root with a paring knife. Add pepper and chili powder. Puree with a hand mixer. If soup seems too thick, add broth or water until the desired consistency is achieved. Feel free to taste the soup and add more salt or pepper as desired. Warm soup in a saucepan. Serve with your favorite garnishes; bacon, a swirl of another pureed vegetable soup or shaved truffles are good.

Easy Turkey Salad with Celeraic

Anything You Can Do With Celery…

…Can be done with celeraic with a little cleverness.