CELERY ROOT - SALAD AND OTHER USES

Celery root salad -ready to be served

Over the years I have eaten celery root, but not frequently, and mostly prepared by others. Last year I decided to use this mild root as it is a great substitute for white potatoes. Celery root is a knobby, hairy root vegetable that has a crisp taste. You can eat it either raw or cooked.

There are a variety of things you can make with celery root: cubed and sautéed with bacon; pureed creamy soup; pureed to make a mash either alone or with potatoes, carrots, or cauliflower; cubed and roasted in the oven; and salad. I do like pureed mash with butter, salt and pepper. It is a great side dish. 

As Mark Bittman has said in one of his blogs, you need to be trim the celery root, properly called celeriac, in a fearless and ruthless manner. Using a good paring knife, trim the top off and then following the contour of the shape of the root, cut down along the sides. You want to be careful in not trimming too much of the flesh which is behind the brown skin. Trim the bottom and then trim out any remaining specs of brown skin. When I first tried to peel the skin off the celery root I used a peeler. I found that difficult as it is not smooth to peel like a carrot or parsnip. A paring knife works much better. 

There are several salads you can make with celery root. The dressing is either mayonnaise or vinaigrette based. I decided to make one using oil and vinegar. I like this salad as it combines apple, celery stalks and walnuts with celery root. It has a refreshing taste. I used a mandoline slicer to julienne the celery root and apple. I was tempted to use a food processor but decided that I need to make more use of the mandoline slicer. 

Dressing, chopped walnuts and julienned vegetables.

INGREDIENTS:

Salad Dressing
1.5 tsp Dijon mustard 
2 tbsp apple cider or white wine vinegar
4 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Salad
1 medium size celery root, peeled
1 green apple or other tart apple, cored and quartered
2 stalks celery
2 tbsp lemon juice
1/4 cup walnuts, toasted 


DIRECTIONS:

1. Make the salad dressing in a small cup or bowl. Use a whisk to mix together. Set aside.
2. Julienne the celery root using a sharp knife, grating disk in a food processor or a mandoline slicer. Add to a large mixing bowl and toss with the lemon juice. Julienne the apple using a sharp knife, grating disk in a food process or a mandoline slicer and add to the bowl with the celery root. Toss together.  
3. Finely chop the celery and add to the bowl with the celery root and apple. Combine well.
4. Add the salad dressing and toss well. Top with the toasted walnuts.
5. Serves 4 to 6 depending on appetite. 

Modified from gourmandeinthekitchen.com