Can you imagine being ignored, passed over, relegated to the back of the grocery-store vegetable display, squeezed between shiny red peppers, voluptuous eggplants and disappearing underneath the mane of a more fashionable bunch of dinosaur kale?
Can you fathom being called knob-celery? How demeaning and insulting for such a grand root, so versatile, so forgiving and oh so-full of goodness?
Even though it's a root, it contains very little starch or calories but instead is loaded with Vitamin C, Vitamin B6, phosphorus, potassium, manganese and fiber. Truly an unsung hero, a prince among winter vegetables.
Once its warty peel removed, the magnificence of this cold-weather alternative to potatoes might make you tear up: a creamy ivory flesh that will bend itself to all your epicurean whims, with a flavor reminiscent of a cross between branch celery and fresh parsley.
A Mediterranean native, celeriac was cultivated by Egyptians,Greeks and Romans for medicinal and religious uses.
Today, the lowly but lovely celerie-remoulade, accompanied by its twin-dish carottes rapées seems to adorn many European lunch tables, but this ugly duckling of a vegetable will bow to a chef's demands with grace, heartiness and nutrition.
Peeling the root requires some effort and a good sharp paring knife. Save the peel as it makes a fabulous vegetable broth.
Use broad downward strokes to remove the thick peel. Put the chopped root into a bowl of lemon-water immediately after cutting to avoid discoloration. To soften its edge, it's best to parboil celeriac in lemon-water for 5 to 10 minutes, even if you're planning to fry or bake it.
Last week, I was pretending to prepare my garden for the winter, halfheartedly shaking a shovel around while talking on the phone, when lo and behold! I discovered a big celeriac root that had escaped the confine of my raised bed. I am so grateful the silly beast had hidden itself from my always too eager hands: I simple cannot resist the urge to pull carrots, radishes or any root veggies way before their time and always end up having to cook those scrawny pathetic runts. Not this time. The monster was close to 2 pounds, warts, hairy roots and all. In no time, the thing was washed, peeled, rubbed with a half-lemon. I dug up a couple of leeks and rummaged in the fridge for a fennel bulb. I had something in mind: a soup, un potage, that set me salivating.
Celeriac and Fennel Soup
serves 4 to 6
-2 cups of sliced leek greens (wash well)
-2 carrots sliced ( no need to peel them if using organic)
-the outer leaves of 1 fennel bulb (thick and coarse) and some of the leafy stalks
-2 bay leaves
-6-8 parsley branches
-1/3 teaspoon fennel seeds
-1/2 teaspoon celery seeds
-1/2 teaspoon sea salt
-8 cups filtered water
Wash the celeriac carefully, scrubbing it well with a brush. With a sharp knife (I use a very good Y peeler), slice top and bottom, and peel the gnarly skin. Put all parings in a bowl of lemon-water. You can alternatively use a couple tablespoons of white vinegar..
Remove the outer leaves of the fennel bulb and chop them.
In a thick soup pot such as cast-iron, combine celeriac parings, fennel, leek greens, carrots and all other ingredients, bring to a boil then simmer covered for 30 minutes.
Strain and reserve the stock.
the soup:
-2 tablespoons pastured-butter
-1/2 cup filtered water
-1 cup of leeks, white part only (about 2 big leeks or 3 smaller ones)
-fennel bulb left-over from making the stock, chopped
-celeriac chopped in small pieces
-1/2 teaspoon sea-salt
-stock you just made, 6-7 cups
-fresh-ground pepper to taste
-1/2 cup of heavy cream, or half-and-half
-optional chopped arugula, water-cress or tender inner-fennel leaves for garnish.
Melt butter, with water and add leeks, fennel, celeriac and salt. I occasionally will fish out the chopped carrots from the stock and throw them in the pot as well.
Stir well, cover and simmer slowly for 20 minutes. Check for moisture level at least once (add some stock if all moisture has evaporated).
Add strained stock over the veggies, bring to a boil, cover and simmer 15 minutes.
Let the soup cool down for a few minutes and blend it with a hand-held wand.
Stir in the cream. Add more stock if the soup is too thick.
Taste for salt and pepper.
Serve and add the optional garnish.
Enjoy this sweet, delicate and soothing soup.
Even though it's a root, it contains very little starch or calories but instead is loaded with Vitamin C, Vitamin B6, phosphorus, potassium, manganese and fiber. Truly an unsung hero, a prince among winter vegetables.
Once its warty peel removed, the magnificence of this cold-weather alternative to potatoes might make you tear up: a creamy ivory flesh that will bend itself to all your epicurean whims, with a flavor reminiscent of a cross between branch celery and fresh parsley.
A Mediterranean native, celeriac was cultivated by Egyptians,Greeks and Romans for medicinal and religious uses.
Today, the lowly but lovely celerie-remoulade, accompanied by its twin-dish carottes rapées seems to adorn many European lunch tables, but this ugly duckling of a vegetable will bow to a chef's demands with grace, heartiness and nutrition.
Peeling the root requires some effort and a good sharp paring knife. Save the peel as it makes a fabulous vegetable broth.
Use broad downward strokes to remove the thick peel. Put the chopped root into a bowl of lemon-water immediately after cutting to avoid discoloration. To soften its edge, it's best to parboil celeriac in lemon-water for 5 to 10 minutes, even if you're planning to fry or bake it.
Last week, I was pretending to prepare my garden for the winter, halfheartedly shaking a shovel around while talking on the phone, when lo and behold! I discovered a big celeriac root that had escaped the confine of my raised bed. I am so grateful the silly beast had hidden itself from my always too eager hands: I simple cannot resist the urge to pull carrots, radishes or any root veggies way before their time and always end up having to cook those scrawny pathetic runts. Not this time. The monster was close to 2 pounds, warts, hairy roots and all. In no time, the thing was washed, peeled, rubbed with a half-lemon. I dug up a couple of leeks and rummaged in the fridge for a fennel bulb. I had something in mind: a soup, un potage, that set me salivating.
serves 4 to 6
the stock:
-Paring from a celeriac-2 cups of sliced leek greens (wash well)
-2 carrots sliced ( no need to peel them if using organic)
-the outer leaves of 1 fennel bulb (thick and coarse) and some of the leafy stalks
-2 bay leaves
-6-8 parsley branches
-1/3 teaspoon fennel seeds
-1/2 teaspoon celery seeds
-1/2 teaspoon sea salt
-8 cups filtered water
Wash the celeriac carefully, scrubbing it well with a brush. With a sharp knife (I use a very good Y peeler), slice top and bottom, and peel the gnarly skin. Put all parings in a bowl of lemon-water. You can alternatively use a couple tablespoons of white vinegar..
Remove the outer leaves of the fennel bulb and chop them.
In a thick soup pot such as cast-iron, combine celeriac parings, fennel, leek greens, carrots and all other ingredients, bring to a boil then simmer covered for 30 minutes.
Strain and reserve the stock.
the soup:
-2 tablespoons pastured-butter-1/2 cup filtered water
-1 cup of leeks, white part only (about 2 big leeks or 3 smaller ones)
-fennel bulb left-over from making the stock, chopped
-celeriac chopped in small pieces
-1/2 teaspoon sea-salt
-stock you just made, 6-7 cups
-fresh-ground pepper to taste
-1/2 cup of heavy cream, or half-and-half
-optional chopped arugula, water-cress or tender inner-fennel leaves for garnish.
Melt butter, with water and add leeks, fennel, celeriac and salt. I occasionally will fish out the chopped carrots from the stock and throw them in the pot as well.
Stir well, cover and simmer slowly for 20 minutes. Check for moisture level at least once (add some stock if all moisture has evaporated).
Add strained stock over the veggies, bring to a boil, cover and simmer 15 minutes.
Let the soup cool down for a few minutes and blend it with a hand-held wand.
Stir in the cream. Add more stock if the soup is too thick.
Taste for salt and pepper.
Serve and add the optional garnish.
Enjoy this sweet, delicate and soothing soup.
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