Friday, February 15, 2008

Celeriac Potato Mash

This may be named Celeriac Potato Mash, but we all can see the true star of the show - that loaf of bread!  No, I did not send Aidan off to school with the entire thing (of course, I did send him with a pumpkin once, so anything is possible), just a couple of slices wrapped in the napkin. Sorry, I digress. . .

Organic potato and celeriac (celery root) mash (like mashed potatoes, but lighter and with a more crisp, fresh flavor - - simmer the celeriac in a little bit of butter and water, mash with potatoes - -I use a ricer - - add some warm milk to desired consistency and a splash of rice vinegar to enhance the flavor); pan fried tofu chunks; and organic homemade whole wheat bread.

By the way, the celeriac root, should you happen to come upon one, is a bit scary looking, like the rejected part of a prehistoric plant after having been lunched upon by a starving brontosaurus.  It is a bit grayish with tiny slender celery stalks shooting off of it's gnarled and amputated limbs.  However, once you peel back it's rough exterior, you will find a white crisp vegetable, looking much like peeled jicama. I was afraid of the one that appeared in my CSA box until I consulted with Alice Waters (via her cookbooks, of course).  Now I've cooked it and munched on it raw with dip and I am no longer afraid.  

waste generated: none :)

3 comments:

Unknown said...

I picked up celeriac at the market and couldn't bring myself to bring that ugly little thing home. Maybe next time! : )

Do you have any favorite cookbooks? I am beginning to dabble in bread making but it must be dairy free b/c of a lactose intolerance.

Thanks!

Jeanine said...

I constantly refer to my cookbooks by Alice Waters and those by the people of Moosewood (the latest one - Simple Suppers - is great). For bread I almost exclusively use Beatrice Ojankangas' Great Whole Grain Breads. Many of her breads are dairy free or can be turned into dairy free by using dry soymilk instead of dry nonfat milk and canola oil in place of butter. The bread in this entry is adapted from a recipe from The New York Times that uses a dutch oven for cooking (creating a beautiful artisan loaf with a thick crisp crust and soft interior).

Aubrey West @ Healthy Lunch Ideas said...

Every time I visit your blog aside form learning great and healthy lunch ideas, I learned new things such as "celeriac". Pretty cool!