Celeriac (Apium graveolens Rapaceum Group) is also known as 'celery root,' 'turnip-rooted celery' or 'knob celery'. It is a kind of celery, grown as a root vegetable for its large and well-developed taproot rather than for its stem and leaves. Unlike other root vegetables, which store a large amount of starch, celery root is only about 5-6% starch by weight. Celeriac may be used raw or cooked, and has a celery flavor, and is often used as a flavoring in soups and stews; it can also be used on its own, usually mashed, or used in casseroles, gratins and baked dishes. It’s high in Vitamin K and Phosphorous. (Taken from Wikpedia)

NEW RECIPES FOR 2009

CELERIAC AND BEET SALAD

6 medium beets (2 1/4 lb with greens), trimmed, leaving 1 inch of stems attached
1 (1-lb) celeriac
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice, plus additional to taste
2 tablespoons minced shallot
1/4 cup olive oil
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (2 oz), toasted and cooled

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 425°F. Wrap beets tightly in foil to make 2 packages (3 beets in each) and roast until tender, about 1 1/4 hours. While beets roast, peel celery root with a sharp knife and cut into 1/8-inch-thick matchsticks. Whisk together lemon juice, shallot, oil, salt, and pepper to taste in a large bowl until combined well, then add celery root and toss until coated. Keep at room temperature, covered, until ready to add beets. Carefully unwrap beets and, when just cool enough to handle, slip off skins and remove stems. Cut beets into 1/8-inch-thick matchsticks and toss with celery root. Let salad stand, covered, at room temperature 1 hour. Taste salad and season with more lemon juice and salt if necessary, then toss with walnuts.

MASHED POTATOES WITH CELERY ROOT AND MASCARPONE 
Bon Appétit | November 1997
Celery root gives the potatoes an intriguing new taste; mascarpone cheese provides the ultimate in creaminess. Yield: Serves 10 Recipe can be halved.

3 1/4 pounds Yukon Gold or russet potatoes, peeled, cut into 2-inch pieces
1 1/2 pounds celery root (celeriac), peeled, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
3 whole peeled garlic cloves plus 1 tablespoon minced garlic
8 ounces mascarpone cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter

Place potatoes, celery root and whole garlic cloves in large pot. Add enough cold water to cover vegetables. Salt the water and bring to boil. Cover partially and boil until vegetables are very tender, about 40 minutes. Drain. Transfer vegetables to large bowl. Using electric mixer, beat mixture until almost smooth. Add minced garlic, mascarpone and butter; beat until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (Can be prepared 3 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature. Re-warm over medium-low heat, stirring frequently.)

BRAISED CHICKEN WITH CELERY ROOT AND GARLIC  
GOURMET | December 2004
Cooking the garlic inside the skin not only saves time but also mellows the harshness of its flavor and results in tender cloves that can be peeled easily. Squeeze the cloves out of their skins and eat them with the chicken and the bread. Yield: Makes 4 servings

3 lb chicken parts such as breasts and thighs (with skin and bone) and drumsticks
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 celery root (sometimes called celeriac; 1 1/4 lb), peeled with a sharp knife and cut into 3/4-inch cubes
1 head garlic, cloves separated and left unpeeled
1 1/4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth (10 fl oz)
2 fresh thyme sprigs
Accompaniment: crusty bread
Garnish: fresh thyme

Pat chicken dry and sprinkle all over with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then brown chicken, starting skin sides down, turning over once, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a plate and pour off all but 1 tablespoon fat from skillet.
Add butter to skillet and heat over moderately high heat until foam subsides, then sauté celery root and garlic, stirring frequently, until celery root is browned, about 5 minutes. Add broth and thyme and deglaze skillet by boiling, stirring and scraping up any brown bits, 1 minute. Return chicken, skin sides up, to skillet along with any juices accumulated on plate, then reduce heat and simmer, covered, until chicken is cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes for white meat, about 25 minutes for dark meat. Transfer chicken to a serving bowl as cooked and keep warm, loosely covered with foil. When all chicken pieces are done cooking, transfer sauce and vegetables to bowl with chicken, discarding thyme. Add broth and thyme and deglaze skillet by boiling, stirring and scraping up any brown bits, 1 minute. Return chicken, skin sides up, to skillet along with any juices accumulated on plate, then reduce heat and simmer, covered, until chicken is cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes for white meat, about 25 minutes for dark meat. Transfer chicken to a serving bowl as cooked and keep warm, loosely covered with foil.

CELERY ROOT SALAD RECIPE   elise.com

1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 Tbsp chopped parsley
1 lb celery root - quartered, peeled, and coarsely grated just before mixing
1/2 tart green apple, peeled, cored, julienned
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Combine the mayonnaise, mustard, lemon juice and parsley in a medium-sized bowl. Fold in the celery root and apple and season with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate until chilled, at least 1 hour.

APPLES AND CELERIAC WITH HONEY MUSTARD-DRESSING  seasonalchef.com

2 tablespoons apple-cider vinegar
2 teaspoons coarse mustard
2 teaspoons honey
1 shallot, chopped
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup canola oil
1 celeriac root
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 green apples, shredded
1/3 cup nonfat yogurt
1/4 cup red onions, diced
2 cup spinach, shredded
1 cup radish, sliced

Place the vinegar, mustard, honey, shallots, and pepper in a blender container. Process on high speed until well mixed. With the blender running, slowly pour in the oil to form an emulsion.
Trim and wash the celeriac. Cut into a fine julienne and place in a large bowl. Add the lemon juice and combine well to keep the celeriac from discoloring. Mix in the apples, yogurt, onions, and dressing.
Serve on a bed of spinach with the radishes.

APPLE & CELERIAC SALAD  --Susan Morris
Serves 2

1 large cooking apple or 2 smaller culinary apples
Celeriac half
4 tablespoons of natural plain yoghurt
1 lime

Peel the celeriac half and cut into cubes of 2 cm x 2 cm. Boil the cubed celeriac in water for 10 minutes. The celeriac will be cooked after 15 minutes in boiling water. Peel, core and cut the apples into thin slices. Add to the boiling pan of water and celeriac. Cook celeriac and apple together until the celeriac is cooked (check to see if fork will run through a celeriac cube) Drain off the water. Add the juice from one freshly squeezed lime over the celeriac and apples in a glass bowl. Next add 4 tablespoons of natural plain yogurt or lactose free soy yoghurt if preferred. Mix well and serve warm as a side dish.

CELERIAC SALAD
Posted by Carole Koch  taken from fooddownunder.com

Cut 8 ounces of celeriac into thin strips. Mix with 1 tablespoon each finely chopped gherkins and capers, 2 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs and mustard, to taste. Combine well and chill for several hours before serving.

Celeriac, Carrot & Pear Remoulade
Posted by Carole Koch

1 large celeriac, peeled, shredded
1 large carrot peeled, shredded
2 firm ripe pears cored, shredded
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 cup light mayonnaise
1/3 cup thinly-sliced green onion
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon minced fresh tarragon (or 1 teaspoon dried)
3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley

Toss together celery root, carrot and pears in 2-quart bowl. Combine lemon juice, mayonnaise, green onion, mustard and tarragon in small dish. Add to celery root mixture, tossing until well mixed. Put plastic wrap directly on salad to prevent contact with air; cover bowl airtight. Refrigerate at least 3 hours or as long as 3 days. To serve, let stand at room temperature 30 minutes. Toss in parsley. Taste and adjust seasonings. Makes 12 to 16 condiment servings.

CLASSIC CELERY ROOT REMOULADE
Recipe courtesy Emeril Lagasse,
Serves: 4 to 6

1 medium celery root (celeriac), 12 to 16 ounces
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
2 to 3 teaspoons lemon juice
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons hot water
1/2 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
Freshly ground white pepper
2 tablespoons finely chopped mixed soft herbs, such as parsley, chives, thyme, marjoram
1 teaspoon minced gherkins
1 teaspoon minced drained capers

Working quickly, peel the celery root and cut into chunks. Grate finely in a food processor fitted with the shredding blade and immediately toss with the salt and lemon juice. Set aside. Place the mustard in a mixing bowl and, while whisking, slowly drizzle in the hot water. When the water is completely incorporated, drizzle in the oil, little by little, until completely incorporated. Add the vinegar, little by little, to form a smooth emulsion and season with white pepper. Stir in the herbs, gherkins, and capers. Add the dressing to the celeriac, to taste. Serve immediately or allow to sit, refrigerated, in a non-reactive airtight container, for 2 hours and up to 2 days.

CREAMY BAKED POTATO AND CELERIAC 
(adapted from Food Network recipe by Jamie Oliver)

4 tablespoons butter, melted, plus a couple extra knobs, divided
2 pounds potatoes, peeled
1 small celeriac, peeled and halved
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pint heavy cream
1 clove garlic, peeled and finely chopped
1/2 a small bunch fresh sage, leaves picked and roughly chopped
4 ounces freshly grated Parmesan, divided

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and butter a large, shallow baking dish. Slice the potatoes and celeriac into disks just under 1-inch thick. Place the slices into a large pan, cover with cold water, season with salt and pepper and bring to the boil. Simmer for 5 minutes, then drain in a colander and allow the vegetables to steam dry for a minute or so. Put back into the pan with the cream, chopped garlic, sage, half the Parmesan and a good pinch of salt and pepper. Mix together, then tip into the buttered baking dish and spread out evenly. Pour any mixture left in the pan over the top. Sprinkle over the remaining Parmesan, cover tightly with aluminum foil and cook in the preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes until golden brown.

CELERY ROOT "ANNA" WITH BACON AND OLIVES
This dish was inspired by pommes Anna, the regal, crisp-crusted potato cake rumored to have been named for Anna Deslions, a famous courtesan in nineteenth-century Paris.
Serves 4 to 6.

4 bacon slices (about 1/4 pound)
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
a 1 1/2-pound celery root (sometimes called celeriac)
6 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
1 tablespoon chopped drained Kalamata or other brine-cured black olives

Preheat oven to 400° F. Cook bacon until crisp and crumble. Melt butter and lightly brush over bottom and sides of a well-seasoned cast-iron or non-stick 10-inch skillet. With a sharp knife peel celery root and, using a mandoline or other manual slicer, cut crosswise into 1 ‚16-inch-thick slices. Arrange 1 slice in center of skillet and arrange one layer of slices around center slice in a concentric circle, overlapping them slightly. Lightly brush layer with some of melted butter (being careful not to move slices) and sprinkle with one third bacon, 1 1/2 tablespoons Parmesan, 3/4 teaspoon thyme, 1 teaspoon olives, and salt and pepper to taste. Repeat procedure twice but reverse direction of slices each time so that layers are even. Add one more layer of celery root. Brush top with any remaining butter and sprinkle with remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons Parmesan and remaining thyme. Cover top of skillet tightly with foil and bake celery root in middle of oven 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake 20 to 25 minutes more, or until celery root is tender and top and edges are golden brown. Transfer celery root Anna– with 2 large spatulas to a cutting board and cut into wedges.

CELERIAC MASH
Bon Appétit | February 2005
Makes 4 servings

3 cups 1/2-inch dice peeled celeriac (celery root; from about one 18-ounce celeriac)
1 12-ounce russet potato, peeled, cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks (about 2 1/2 cups)
1/4 cup whipping cream
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter

Cook celeriac in large saucepan of boiling salted water 15 minutes. Add potato and boil until celeriac and potato are very tender, about 15 minutes longer. Drain. Return to same saucepan; stir over medium-high heat until any excess liquid in pan evaporates, about 2 minutes. Add cream and butter; mash until mixture is almost smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper.