Celeriac
Apium graveolens var. rapaceum
Similar veggies:
Celery, Parsnip
Other names:
Celery root
A quick introduction
Celeriac is a slow growing crop that takes almost a full season to mature! We start harvesting them in fall once the roots start to fatten up. Celeriac is -as the name suggests- related to celery and its leaves and stalks can be used in much the same way (although they are a little more tough and are not great for raw preparations).
Storage
Stores for quite a few days in the vegetable drawer of the fridge.
Season
Fall to winter
Suggestions for preparation
We like celeriac best roasted, either whole or in small pieces. For whole roasted celeriac it is best to not peel the skin off, but to scrub it clean with a vegetable brush (you probably have to cut some parts off at the bottom to get out all the dirt that gets stuck between the roots. Try adding small cubes of roasted celeriac to salads.
One of our favourite winter salads is made with cubes of roasted celeriac and coriander seeds, sumac, oven roasted cooking pears (stoofperen), rucola and an orange and balsamic vinegar dressing (goat cheese probably works well with this too). A spelt salad with roasted vegetables (celeriac, onion, parsnip and pumpkin for example) also makes for a hearty winter meal.
Recipes
Here are three different celeriac recipes by Ottolenghi we think you might like. And here’s a link to a recipe we got recommended by one of our members: celeriac steak with butter sauce (Ottolenghi again!).
Otherwise, try out this celeriac puree with potato and apple, this raw grated celery salad with apple and crab, or this spicy winter vegetable gratin (see second recipe).
Another great recipe is this whole roasted celeriac with porcini butter (adjust the oven time for our smaller celeriacs), or this whole roasted celeriac with anchovies crème (recipe in Dutch).
Or use your summer and fall veggies is this Minestrone soup.