March 18, 2013
I love celery root or aka celeriac. My husband and the kids are not fans of this bulbous root. But I just couldn’t resist throwing some in my basket when I spied it at the farmers market. The mounds of celery root looked so darn cute piled up on the table.
It emboldened me to add a little suck-it-up philosophy to family dinners. It’s exhausting catering to everyone’s endless requests and needs. I served this alongside a roast pork and fresh pea salad, putting it all on the table and didn’t say a word – what do you know? They ate it.
Celery root is deliciously in season, easy to make and a lower starch substitution for potatoes. The following day, I pureed the leftovers with some water and made a great little soup, garnishing with some fresh celery moons for lunch.
Next-up on mom’s in charge of the dinner menu, curried tofu salad. 😉
Serves 4-6
Note: Green garlic is only available during early spring. You really try it out, it has a wonderful mild and super fresh garlic flavor.
3 small celery roots, peeled and cut in 2 inch pieces
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons, green garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon cilantro, chopped and some leaves reserved for garnish
In a medium sized pot fill with water, add a heavy pinch of salt—more like a fist of salt and then add the prepped celery root. Bring water to a boil, return to simmer and cook about 12 minutes until it’s fork tender. Drain in a colander and set aside. Back in the pan, over medium heat, add butter until melted and bubbly and then add the green garlic.
Take care not to overcook the garlic— it should still be white and green when it’s cooked— not golden in color. Once the smell perfumes your kitchen add back in the celery root and cilantro. Toss with a large spoon to combine and add some cracked pepper and sea salt if needed. Garnish with cilantro leaves. Serve.
