Celeriac

[chadspad]

What do you do with it and what does it taste like? Im assuming celery but is it stronger?

[bazil]

you can make a lovely soup with it

it looks like a swede....like a large bulbous root vegetable, bit like a brain
has been known to stop strokes and lower the blood pressure due to high potassium content

Celeriac (Apium graveolens Rapaceum Group) (also known as 'turnip-rooted celery' or 'knob celery'), is a specially selected Cultivar Group of celery, grown as a root vegetable for its large and well-developed taproot rather than for its stem and leaves. The root is used when it is about 10-12 cm diameter, or the size of a large potato. Celeriac may be used raw or fresh. It is best to peel celeriac before use, since the outer skin is tough and stringy. It has the celery flavor, so it is often used as a flavoring in soups and stews; it can also be mashed or used in casseroles and baked dishes. The hollow stalk of the upper plant can be cut into drinking straw lengths, rinsed out, and used for tomato drinks such as the Bloody Mary. The tomato juice moving through the stalk is lightly permeated with the celery flavor. Nutritionally, celeriac is low in carbohydrates.

It is not as popular as other root vegetables, especially in the western hemisphere, very possibly owing to its garish appearance before cleaning: it has been described as "a vegetable octopus", owing to the tangle of rootlets that grow at the base.

There are numerous cultivars available, especially in Europe, where root vegetables are popular. Among the types are 'Prinz', 'Diamant', 'Ibis', and 'Kojak', which all received Royal Horticultural Society Award of Garden Merit designation in the year 2000 trials.

Celeriac has good keeping properties, and should last 3 to 4 months if stored between 0° and 5 °C and not allowed to dry out.

"Celeriac" is also the name of a wandering cricket team based in London

[chadspad]

WOW - thanks very much for the detailed response!! Gonna buy me one from the supermarket and see what its like

[red swirl]

I like celeriac roasted ... just put it in with all the other veg in your Sunday roast

[chadspad]

Righto - gonna give it a go - thanks

[bazil]

remember an dig under ground...its the root you want!!

[ina]

I like celeriac "cutlets": Slice about 1 cm thick, cook not too soft. When cool, turn in flour, beaten egg and dry breadcrumbs (or grated parmesan, or a mixture of both), and shallow fry. You can add spices/chopped herbs to the egg. Don't chuck the water out that you used for cooking - it makes a nice base for soups or stews.

[chadspad]

That sounds yummy Ina - thanks

[Thymepasses]

Also, celeriac and potato, mashed. 50% of each, cooked and mashed together, gorgeous comfort food!

[supersprout]

remember an dig under ground...its the root you want!!

mine are sort of sat on the ground with half a tennis ball showing

[bazil]

soz...i just assumed it was a tuberish thing....must be more like a swede

i think the celery like bit on the top can be eaten too

[Chickpea]

I love celeriac. Especially mashed or souped. I bet you could make a really special shepherds' pie with mashed celeriac topping. Is it easy to grow?

[Biscombe]

Yum yum I love it, but not grown it before. I grate it and add to puy lentils then top with mash, great vegi cottage pie!

[caithnesscrofter]

I do celeriac this way...

slice it up into thin slices.. slice up some tatties.. and some onions.

butter up a deep roasting pan and layer some sliced tatties in rows on the bottom of the pan and lightly season with salt and pepper followed by a layer of onions, then a layer of celeriac and if there's more room another layer of tattie slices. season well again with salt and pepper.

make a cheese sauce by melting a good slab of butter in a pan on low heat maybe about a 1/2 cup of butter then add a tablespoon of wheat flour and mix well.. then add a cup or so of grated cheese.. mature cheddar or a mix of different kinds and also add a cup or so of milk and a heaping teaspoon on dijon mustard or so and a teaspoon of balsamic vinegar.. and melt well so it's a nice thickened sauce.. but, not too thick.

pour the sauce over the tatties & celeriac. cover with tin foil and bake for 1 hour 15 minutes at 180-200C. Last 15 minutes remove tin foil. I then top each plateful with chopped chives and sprinkle of paprika. Delicious way to use celeriac.. have also used jerusalem artichokes in this same manner before too!

[Merry]

Oh wow! Oh wow! Gotta try that! Mouth watering already