Food Fun

In many neighbouring countries celeriac is widely used as a winter veg. Here not all vegetable outlets stock it and it is a bit "exotic" despite being seasonal. The root is perhaps a bit more ugly than say a beetroot, swede or turnip but is not that different from other roots. Indeed it is edible raw: like beetroot or carrot, but unlike potato or parsnip.

When in the Netherlands in winter I often had delightful celeriac salads. They were a great winter alternative to coleslaw and of course had a mild celery tast to them. Here is my version...

Serves 4-6 (Subject to where you use it and the size of the celeriac!)

Ingredients

1 celeriac
100 g mayonnaise (see note below)
200 g natural yogurt (see note below)
salt and pepper
(optional: 1 level tsp paprika)

Note

Obviously a celeriac varies in size. They are commonly 800g-1kg. The quantities of mayo and yogurt are approximate. I would not weigh them out, however measuring spoons are not ideal for mayo or yogurt either! Just stick to the rough ratios. This is not "gram perfect" cooking!

Method

1. Scrape the skin off the celeriac. The top will be easy while the lower 'ugly' part will be more difficult. I generally slice the celeriac into roughly 2 cm slices horizontally. This will make removing the 'ugly' parts easier.
2. Shred the celeriac either using a mandolin shredder or a food processor (if I do not use a mandolin, I use the middle disk on my Maximix).
3. This is optional because celeriac can be eaten raw. Some food writers are on about the risk of bitter tastes. If I do not taste the celeriac as bitter I skip this, but it is an easy step! Blanch the shredded celeriac in boiling water for about 2 minutes then quench with cold water. If there is bitterness this should fix it.
4. Take roughly 100 g mayonnaise and 200 g natural yogurt; add salt, pepper and (optionally up to 1 tsp paprika). Mix thoroughly in a salad bowl.
5. Add shredded celeriac and toss until the celeriac is coated with the dressing.

Some decades ago I was on a business trip to Paris and had crudités - basically raw vegetables with a dressing - for the first time. Crunching through the veg seemed like a healthy way to start the meal. In the UK we tended not to start with anything crunchy. Sometimes I do not understand why more people do not try raw beetroot when in season - I much prefer it to the boiled in the bag or picked stuff.

I quite like some things in Hugh Fearnly-Whittingstall's book River Cottage Year and he features a beetroot, pear and apple salad that I find a great light way to start a meal in the Autumn and early Winter.

The following is what we do:

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

1 large, hard conference pear (150-200 g)
1 hard cox apple
1-2 beetroots (depending on size, need about 150 g)
half lemon (or whole lime)
1 tbsp vegetable oil
salt
pepper

Method

1. Shred pear, apple and beetroots into thin strips (I use a mandoline with shredder attachment)
2. Squeeze half lemon (or the lime), then mix juice with vegetable oil
3. Sprinkle shredded vegetables with salt and pepper, add lemon and oil dressing and toss
4. Serve

Unlike Hugh I do not bother peeling the apple or pear if the skin is good. The lemon juice helps to prevent the apple and pear browning (they go pink with the beetroot juice). It is worth serving soon after making if the beetroot, apple and pear are to be crisp.