Ottolenghi | Tasha Miller Griffith

Celery root is one of those vegetables that just looks intimidating. Covered in dirt, all-over-knobbly, seems like it’s been underground for about a hundred years … but underneath all that, it’s surprisingly easy to slice and really delicious, with a subtle nutty flavor. I discovered it last winter, when I started making this soup, and a lentil and celery root dish from Plenty * that’s really good (also how I discovered that “celeriac” is British English for “celery root” and therefore I could get what Ottolenghi describes as “probably my favorite root” in my own home town!)

This is originally a Deborah Madison recipe, and I love how thoughtful she is about both using up all the veggies, and using your time wisely. The root trimmings go into a stock, which cooks as you get everything else ready. This time of year, I’m waiting for spring, and ready to eat something new (or at least new-to-me). Want to come on a new vegetable adventure?

Celery Root and Apple Soup

Adapted from Vegetable Soups from Deborah Madison’s Kitchen

Get out your vegetable brush, and go to town on:

1 1/2 pounds celery root

Thickly peel it, with a knife. You’ll be able to see the boundary between the outer and inner layers. Throw any pieces that are too deeply rutted or full of tiny roots to be clean into the compost. Put the clean peelings into a stock pot (use a smaller pot here if you can, you’ll need a bigger one to start the soup in) along with:

1 cup chopped leek greens OR a few slices of onion

1 chopped carrot

1 chopped celery stalk

1 bay leaf

3 sprigs of fresh parsley (if you have it)

Pinch of fresh thyme

Pinch of salt

Cover all this with 6 cups of water, bring it to a boil, and then let simmer for 25 minutes.

Meanwhile,chop:

The peeled celery root

1 onion OR 2 fat leeks

1 cup celery

1 apple, thinly sliced. I like to use a Pink Lady, either a small one or half a large. I really like the flavor, but too much can make the soup a little too sweet. Or you can follow the original directions and use a more tart apple.

1/2 cup potato

Melt in the big soup pot:

2 Tablespoons butter

Add all the soup vegetables, plus another pinch of salt. Cook over medium for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, then add:

1/2 cup water

Cook on low until the stock is done. Pour the stock through a strainer into the soup, and simmer for about 20 more minutes, until the vegetables are soft. Let cool and then puree the soup to the texture you like.

A splash of cream is good in the soup when it’s done.

Reheat gently, taste for seasoning, and serve with:

Very thinly sliced celery heart

Very thinly sliced apple, and

A little crumbled blue cheese on top.

Don’t skip the toppings, they really make this soup special.

* You can also read this recipe on his website. The main variation I like is to saute the chopped celery root in some butter/olive oil instead of boiling it. It comes out golden and tender and super yummy.

What about you, tried any new vegetables lately? Have any favorite late-winter recipes? (If you’re reading from the Southern Hemisphere right now, I’m jealous …)

Real-life pocket-camera photo of the pancakes just before they were devoured, with tomato sauce and another recipe from Plenty, roasted veggies with caper and lemon dressing – delicious!

My friend Megan grew up in the south. She loves greens; collards, kale, chard, you name it. She loves them just cooked and piled up on a plate. However, as I have confessed before, I just don’t like them like that, I find it too slimy, too bitter, too dark and green. But I think of her when I find a way to eat greens that I do like, such as this one from Plenty by Yotam Otelenghi. If you’re at all interested in eating vegetables, this cookbook is a must-read. Lots and lots of new ideas and flavors. I’m pretty sure that it made a great big splash when it came out a couple of years ago, but somehow I missed it. I like finding good things that I’ve missed, and you can keep them longer from the library. Bryan and I have been cooking together a lot lately, and we raced through this book, I don’t think I’ve ever made so many recipes from one source in such a short time. Good thing too, because even though it’s not a new book, someone else requested it at the library and I had to give it back after three weeks. I’ll just have to get my own copy.

In the meantime, I really wanted to make these pancakes for Megan when I saw her. She’s eating dairy-free for a while, so I had to adapt the recipe (even more than I already had). But to my delight the pancakes are just as good! The key to this recipe is to beat the egg whites to soft peaks and then fold them into the batter. It makes a lovely light texture and holds everything together.

The original recipe has you fold lime and herbs into softened butter, then refrigerate it again, and put on the pancakes. They are delicious with the flavored butter (I used lemon and thyme), but just as good with a plain pat of butter, and/or with tomato sauce on top. I bet they’re good with your favorite sauce and condiments as well.

Greens Pancakes

Adapted (a lot) from Plenty by Yotam Ottolenghi

Pull the greens from the stems of one large bunch or two small bunches of green stuff: collard greens, chard, kale, spinach, etc. You should have about 8 cups. Steam in a steamer basket over simmering water until bright green and wilted.

Meanwhile, mix together in a large bowl:

3/4 cup whole wheat flour

2 teaspoon baking powder

2 egg yolks

2 Tablespoons melted unsalted butter -or- olive oil

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cumin

2/3 cup milk -or- water

2 green onions, finely sliced

1/4 cup fresh or frozen and thawed or canned green chiles -or- sub a little of your favorite hot sauce

Chop the steamed greens fairly fine and mix them in as well. The batter will look like mostly greens held together with a little flour and stuff, and that’s fine.

Beat the egg whites on medium-high speed with a mixer until they hold a soft peak when you pull the beaters away. Fold the egg whites into the batter gently with a rubber spatula, just until everything is combined.

Put a little oil (it really doesn’t take much for them not to stick) in a frying pan, and heat it over medium-low heat. Ladle about a quarter cup of batter into the pan for each pancake, and flatten it out a bit. Cook until deep brown on the bottom, then flip with a metal spatula and cook the other side. Put the pancakes on a plate and keep warm while you cook the rest.

Enjoy!