two simple celery root sides: roasted and mashed

In anticipation of the New Canaan Farmer's Market meeting up again for winter offerings at the New Canaan Nature Center Tuesdays in February, from 1-3pm, I wanted to share two more simple recipes for something you might find there, or in your local farmer's market this time of year: roasted celery root and celery root puree. First, let's make sure we all know what we're looking for! Often overlooked because of its' gnarly appearance, I posted a quick visual of a celery root. You want to pick one that is firm and feels heavy for its' size. I buy large ones because I like to get two different sides out of cooking one batch...

Roasted Celery Root

celery root

your choice of oil

salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 425. While the oven is preheating, peel and chopped the celery root into 1" pieces. Toss the celery root with a drizzle of oil on a rimmed baking sheet, sprinkle with salt and pepper and roast for 20-30 minutes, until tender. Serve warm.

Then, you can transform any remaining roasted celery root into something akin to mashed potatoes...

Mashed Celery Root 

(using leftover roasted celery root)

roasted celery root (see above)

heavy cream, or your choice of milk or broth*

In a  blender, combine roasted celery root and your choice of liquid (cream, milk, broth or water), pouring it in slowly until you reach desired consistency. Can be made ahead and reheated in the oven (covered) or in the microwave.

*I did not cite liquid amounts, because the amount of liquid will depend upon how much celery root you are pureeing. The puree should resemble smooth mashed potatoes. I used heavy cream because I happened to have some leftover from another recipe that was nearing the end of its' useful life, but this recipe can be made with any desired dairy broth or plain water as the liquid. When I made it with the cream, it was actually too thick and decadent and I needed to thin it more, so I added some water until I reached the consistency I wanted. Because my roasted celery root was already seasoned with salt & pepper from when I cooked it the day before I did not need to add additional seasonings. If you do not have leftover roasted celery root, and want to make celery root puree the traditional way (boiling the celery root then pureeing it), here is a link to a recipe on Epicurious that combines celery root and potatoes, another farmer's market staple this time of year.