never fear

Despite it's gnarled looks, and dirty feet do not fear the celeriac! If you haven't met it, you are truly missing out. I've recently read that celeriac (also know as celery root) has always been very popular in Europe, where our commonly known stalk-type celery is rarely used. Once also common in America, celeriac fell out of fashion probably about the time we started shipping in produce from all over the world in every season, which meant that the more eye-appealing, stalk-type celery was available year-round. Now few of us would recognize this lovely and tasty root. I once bought one at the store (the food co-op, no less) and the checker asked me "WHAT is THAT?"

We started buying them several years ago because we find that they have such a wonderful flavor, definitively celery, but also a bit nutty and somehow just deeper all around. We love it in soups, stews and winter casseroles. And, the best part, it's such a hearty keeper. Whether in the back of your fridge or in the root cellar, this root keeps for months. And as we continue to pledge to eat locally, celeriac is a real gem. This year we grew a bunch of our own. Today we dug it up, clipped off its tops and fine roots and "replanted" it in sawdust in bins in the root cellar. High in vitamin C, we hope to have it around all winter.


Tonight, one of our favorites: brown rice celeriac pilaf. Yum.





A few more photos of the still ongoing harvest. We hope to get the rest of the carrots, winter radishes and potatoes dug tomorrow. Feels good to be stocking up the cellar!


After all that work, three cups of tea. Hope your weekend is full of bounty too.