Celeriac & Carrots for a Monday of Sun

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WILD HARE WEEKLY WINTER #4/8

Mondays aren’t always easy, but I’m thankful that this one is a little extra gorgeous. Our family just flew home from Tucson, AZ where we had the fortune of soaking up a bit of sun, warm visits with longtime friends, and yes, enjoying some amazing regional food, succulent flora and wildly fun fauna. As I unpack our bags and watch giant boxes of seeds arrive at our door today, I’m teasing out the ways in which our short time away has inspired and energized us. And this is a darn good thing, because as I mentioned, this is Monday in late January. The roots won’t dig themselves, and the payroll taxes aren’t going to file themselves either!

Mark is out digging carrots and assessing some holdout Celery Root in the field. Celery Root, aka Celeriac, is one of those vegetables that you pretty much have to know a farmer or be a farmer to get your hands on in the United States.  In Europe, it is a standby; however, here it is somewhat of an oddity if not a delicacy.  In fact, some of you newcomers to the Winter CSA may be enjoying it for the first time ever this week. I can still remember bringing my first Celery Root home from work more than ten years ago.  I wish you could have seen the look on Mark’s face when I handed him something that looked like a pineapple gone wrong and told him it was celery’s weird cousin.  After we got over the appearance, we cooked it up and fell hard for Celeriac.  And to this day, it has a special place in our fields, on our tables and in our hearts.  Double Celery Soup is the fan favorite as far as Celeriac recipes go, but there are plenty of other ways to enjoy Celery Root. I sneak it into all kinds of dishes throughout the cold months--chopped into soups, mashed with or without potatoes, grated into slaws, shaved into salads--even breakfast hash or "zoodles" for stroganoff.   What a treat to enjoy the clean and crisp aroma from a root!
Best,
Katie

IN THE FARMSHARES THIS WEEK:

Celery Root (aka, Celeriac)
Radishes
Carrots
Leeks and/or Onions
Smilin’ Eyes Potatoes
Honeycrisp Apples

SEASONAL RECIPES, TIPS & INFO


CELERY ROOT & APPLE SALAD
Every Last Bite

1 celery root
1 apple
⅔ cup pistachios, toasted
⅔ cup pomegranate seeds
¼ cup parsley
3 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp honey (or other sweetener)
1 tsp white wine vinegar
salt and pepper

CONTINUE TO RECIPE

CELERY ROOT & POTATO LATKES
Gourmet

1 large celery root (celeriac; 1 1/2 lb), peeled with a knife
1 1/2 lb large russet (baking) potatoes (about 3 large)
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 lb onions, quartered
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground celery seeds
About 1 1/2 cups vegetable oil

CONTINUE TO RECIPE

CELERIAC APPLE SLAW
PBS Kitchen Vignettes

1 medium-small celeriac (weighing about 1/2 pound)
2 medium crisp sweet red apples
1/4 cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley (about 1/4 of a small bunch)
1 tsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tsp dijon mustard
4 Tbsp olive oil
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp cracked black pepper
 

CONTINUE TO RECIPE


CARROT, POTATO & LEEK SOUP
WITH ROASTED GARLIC

The Crepes of Wrath  --Thank you for the recipe, Kacey!

1 pound fingerling or baby Dutch potatoes, cleaned and halved (or cubed, depending on their size)
4-5 medium-sized carrots, cleaned and chopped into roughly the same size pieces as your potatoes (so that they roast evenly)
2 large leeks, cleaned and cut into 1-1/2 inch pieces (leave the tough green parts behind)
5 cloves of garlic, left in the peel
⅓ cup olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
½ teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper (or more, if you like it spicier, like me)
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
a small pinch of cinnamon
a small pinch of granulated sugar
8-9 cups vegetable stock
grated carrots, for garnish

CONTINUE TO RECIPE