Home stretch!

Well, there's one more week of distribution. It's cold & rainy, and I'm tired. But what a great feast we're having! The hearty root vegetables have made their debut, with the celeriac, parsnips, rutabagas... the steady carrots... the potatoes are back again... yum. I'm going home to roast some up myself. If you haven't figured it out yet, you can throw just about any vegetable in the oven with olive oil & salt and it will taste delicious.

But just in case you aren't too familiar with the delicate flavors of the celery root (celeriac)... here's an easy recipe for you. Celery root will store in the crisper drawer of your refrigerator for about 3 months. Try it with apples, onions, & spices, blended in a soup. Or in chunks in a stew. Or grated raw in a salad. Or...

Celery root gratin

2 celery roots
4 large potatoes
1 C cream
1tsp dijon mustard
1/2 C grated swiss style cheese

Peel and slice both the potatoes and celery root into 1/2 inch slices.
Layer in a baking dish seasoning with salt and pepper after each layer
Mix cream and dijon mustard and pour over layered roots.
Sprinkle with the cheese.
Cover and bake at 350F until tender about 30-45 min
Uncover and brown the cheese.


CELERIAC & SHRIMP SALAD

2 lbs shrimp (rock shrimp if you can find it)
2-4 medium size celery root, grated (after grating place in lemon water to prevent browning)
1 bunch green onions
1 1/2 - 2 C fresh citrus (orange)
1/2 C chopped cilantro
fresh lemon juice
coriander
salt, pepper
olive oil, (not much- a Tbs. or so)

You can use the celery root raw or blanch for a few minutes. Drain well.