Celeriac

Carrots & Celeriac Soup

From http://www.vegbox-recipes.co.uk/
Serves 4
1 medium celeriac
5 – 6 medium carrots
2 medium onions
4 medium potatoes
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 litre vegetable stock (or water plus a stock cube)
1 bay leaf
2 tablespoons fresh coriander leaves, chopped

1. Peel the celeriac with a sharp knife. Cut into slices and plunge into boiling water. Boil for 3 minutes then drain. Discard the water. (This helps reduce the bitterness of the celeriac).
2. Peel the potatoes and chop into 2cm (¾ inch) cubes. Peel the onion and chop roughly. Scrub the carrots and chop into 2cm pieces.
3. Heat the oil in a large pan and add the onions, carrots and potatoes. Coat with oil. Cover and saute for 5 minutes, until the onions are starting to soften. Note: this helps bring out the sweetness and counteract the pungence of the celeriac.
4. Add the celeriac, the bay leaf and the stock. Cover and simmer for 15/20 minutes, until the vegetables are soft.
5. Remove the bay leaf and discard. Add the coriander leaves and liquidise the soup until smooth. Season with salt & pepper to taste. Serve as it is or garnish with a little natural yoghurt or double cream.
Notes: This soup freezes well; if you don’t have coriander or bay leaves, experiment with your favourite herbs.

Celeriac and Apple Soup

serves 4 – (Minnesota Bounty, The Farmers Market Cookbook; 2013)
Ingredients:
1 whole celeriac
1 tsp. white vinegar
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
½ cup chopped onion
2 tsp. chopped thyme
1 small bay leaf
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tart apples (Haralson, Cortland or Zestar) peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
1 large potato, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
½ cup apple cider
½ cup water
2 Tbsp. applejack or brandy (optional)
Sour cream or crème fraiche
Chopped fresh parsley
Directions:
Peel celeriac, cut into 2-inch cubes, and put in a bowl with enough cold water to cover and the white vinegar.
In a heavy pot set over medium heat, melt the butter and cook the onion, thyme, and bay leaf with a little salt and pepper until the onion is soft, about 10 minutes.
Drain the celeriac, and add it to the pot along with the apples, potato, apple cider, water, and a pinch of salt. Increase the heat, and bring the liquid to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, and simmer, uncovered, until the potatoes and celeriac are very soft, 10-15 minutes.
Working in batches, puree the soup in a blender. Return the soup to the pot and reheat. If necessary, thin the soup with a bit more cider or water, and season it with salt, pepper, and a splash of applejack. Ladle soup into bowls, and garnish it with sour cream and parsley. Serve right away.

Celeriac Gratin

serves 4 to 6 – (Minnesota’s Bounty; 2013)
Ingredients:
1 whole celeriac
1 tsp. white vinegar
2 large potatoes
2 cups grated Gruyere
salt and freshly ground pepper
1 cup vegetable or chicken stock

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 1 ½ to 2 quart casserole dish.
Peel and cut the celeriac into 1/8-inch slices. Place it in a bowl with enough water to just cover and add the vinegar. Peel the potatoes and slice them into 1/8-inch slices. Set aside ¼ cup of cheese for the final step wile baking.
Drain the celeriac and layer the slices in the casserole dish with the potatoes and cheese, sprinkling with just a little salt and pepper over each layer, and finishing with a layer of cheese. Add the stock. Cover the casserole with a lid or foil. Bake until the vegetables are very tender, about 45 minutes. Uncover the casserole, sprinkle with the reserved ¼ cup cheese and continue baking until the cheese is melted and bubbly, about 10-15 minutes.

Potato, Parsnip, and Celeriac Soup

8 cups (Bi-Rite Market’s Eat Good Food; 2011) Author’s Notes: “This is a great basic recipe that allows for interchangeable veggies. You can use any combination of root veggies, including squash, rutabagas, and turnips. The cream adds a nice richness and velvety texture, but you can get a similar effect without using the cream if you use a rich, creamy potato.”
1 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
2 large leeks, white and green parts only, sliced
Kosher salt
2 large potatoes, (about 1 pound), peeled and diced
2 medium parsnips (about 8 ounces), peeled and diced
1 medium celeriac (about 10 ounces), peeled and diced
2 large cloves garlic, chopped
1 tsp. ground mustard
4 large sprigs thyme
1 bay leaf
1⁄4 cup dry white wine or dry vermouth
4 cups veggie broth
1 cup water
1⁄4 cup heavy cream (optional)
1 Tbsp. fresh squeezed lemon juice, more as needed

1. In a large soup pot or Dutch oven, heat the butter and oil over medium-low heat. Add the leeks and 1⁄2 tsp. salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent, 6 to 8 minutes. Add the potatoes, parsnips, celeriac, and garlic, cover the pot, and stir occasionally until the veggies are heated through and softening a bit on the edges, about 10 minutes. Add mustard, thyme and bay leaf and continue to cook for 2 minutes, or until aromatic. Add the wine and cook until the liquid has completely evaporated about 1 minute.
2. Add the broth and water, cover the pot partially, and increase the heat to medium-high. Bring just to a boil, then lower the heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Continue to cook, partially covered, until the veggies are completely soft and have started to break down a bit, 45 minutes to 1 hour.
3. To finish the soup, remove and discard the thyme sprigs and bay leaf, and working in batches, carefully puree the soup in a blender (or use an immersion blender). If you prefer a thinner soup, add a little more water to adjust the thickness.
4. Stir in the cream, lemon juice and taste. Adjust with more lemon juice or salt as needed and reheat as necessary.

Roasted Celeriac with Cumin & Parsley

serves 4 (foodnetwork.com) Consider adding cubed potatoes or carrots, cut to cook with the celeriac. If adding more root veggies than the recipe calls for (2 ½ lbs.) you will need to adjust your seasonings.

  • 1½ tsp. cumin seeds

  • 1 large celery root (celeriac) – about 2 ½ lbs.

  • 3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling

  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

  • 1 small red onion or yellow

  • 1 cup fresh parsley

1. Adjust an oven rack in the middle position and put a baking sheet inside. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

2. Lightly chop the cumin seeds and add to a medium bowl. Trim the ends off the celery root, then peel and discard the exterior. Cut the root into ¾-inch thick planks and then into ¾-inch cubes. Toss the cubes in the bowl with the cumin seeds, olive oil, 1 tsp. salt and a few grinds of black pepper.

3. Halve the red onion and thinly slice. Remove the hot baking sheet from the oven and spread the cubes in an even layer. Add the onion slices to the bowl the celery root was in and coat with the residual oil and seasonings. Arrange the onions on top of the celery root and put back into oven to roast. (If the onions are in direct contact with the pan for the entire cooking time, the could get too dark or burn.)

4. When the cubes begin to brown on the bottom, about 15 minutes, toss the vegetables around, scattering the onions around the pan and flatten into one layer. Continue to roast until the vegetables are very soft when pierced with a knife, about 10 minutes more. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for a few minutes before tossing with the parsley leaves and a drizzle of olive oil.

Roasted Root Vegetable Blend

serves 7 to 8 (harmonyvalleyfarm.com)

  • 1 medium yellow onion, medium dice

  • 9 cups root vegetables and/or winter squash, cut into medium dice (any vegetables you have-carrots, celeriac, potatoes, beets, parsnips, turnips, etc.)

  • 3 Tbsp. olive oil

  • 2 tsp. Herbs de Provence or Italian Seasoning

  • 1 tsp. chili powder

  • 1 tsp sea salt

Asian Garlic-Ginger Glaze:

  • 1 Tbsp ginger, peeled and grated or minced

  • 3 cloves garlic, minced

  • ½ cup soy sauce (reduced sodium recommended)

  • 2 to 3 Tbsp pure maple syrup or honey, to taste

  • 2 tsp red chili sauce (such as sriracha) or ½ tsp red pepper flakes

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Put the diced onion and root vegetables in a large mixing bowl. Drizzle the vegetables with oil and sprinkle with the Herbs de Provence, chili powder and sea salt. Use your clean hands to toss the vegetables and mix to ensure everything is well-coated. Spread the vegetables in a single layer on a large baking sheet. Use two baking sheets if needed in order to keep the vegetables in a single layer.

2. Roast the vegetables for 40 minutes, turning and stirring once, or until they are tender and golden brown.

3. While the vegtables are roasting, prepare the glaze. Add all glaze ingredients to a small skillet and bring to a full, but controlled, boil. Reduce the heat to a gentle simmer and cook, while whisking frequently, until the volume is reduced by half; about 4-6 minutes. Remove glaze from heat and set aside until ready to use.

4. Remove roasted vegtables from oven, drizzle with glaze, and stir to coat. Serve warm.

Roasted Winter Vegetables

We have found that our favorite way to have celeriac is roasted with other vegetables. It’s mild, rich flavor is a nice addition to roasted vegetables. Peel its tough outer skin before cutting. Following is a basic recipe for any combination of winter veggies. Peeled garlic cloves are also a great thing to add.

6-8 cups winter vegetables: potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, turnips, parsnips, rutabagas, beets, winter squash, celeriac (peeled and cut in 1- inch pieces or slices ½ inch thick).
2 tablespoons oil
1 tablespoon dried or 3 tablespoons fresh herbs such as rosemary, thyme, parsley, oregano

Toss ingredients together (keep onions separate, as they will roast faster; add them to the pan 10 minutes into the baking time). Spread in a single layer on greased baking pans. Roast in a preheated oven at 425 until tender, 30-45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season with salt and pepper.

Winter Lentil Salad with Roasted Root Veggies

serves 4-6 (Bi-Rite Market’s Eat Good Food; 2011) Author’s Notes: “This flexible salad relies on pantry staples and long lasting veggies, so it’s easy to keep the ingredients around for making on the fly. It’s also the perfect place to use infused oils, especially herby ones like tarragon oil.”
Kosher salt
1 1⁄4 cups dried green or black lentils
2 stalks celery cut into 1⁄2-inch dice (1 cup)
4 cups diced root vegetables (mix of celeriac, carrots, parsnips, squash, rutabaga, turnips, etc.)
1 1⁄2 tsp. coarsely chopped fresh thyme
3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, more as needed
3 Tbsp. finely chopped parsley
1 1⁄2 Tbsp. sherry vinegar, more as needed

1. Bring a medium pot of well salted water to a boil and rinse the lentils in two or three changes of water. Add the lentils to the pot and cook until just tender, about 25 minutes. Drain well and set aside.
2. Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat to 400 degrees.
3. Pile the celery, root vegetables and thyme on a large rimmed baking sheet and drizzle with 2 Tbsp. oil and 1⁄2 tsp. salt. Use your hands to mix and coat the vegetables evenly with oil, and then redistribute in a single layer. Roast the vegetables, stirring after 10 minutes or so, and continue to cook until tender and golden on the edges, about 15 minutes longer.
4. Combine the lentils, vegetables, and parsley in a large bowl. Drizzle with the vinegar and another 1 Tbsp. of the oil and toss to combine. Taste and add more vinegar, oil, or salt as desired.
5. Serve right away or refrigerate for up to three days. If making ahead, let it come to room temperature before serving; you may also want to refresh the salad with a little extra olive oil.