HappyTummy              

I’m in love…with the most hideous of vegetables. Ever since my sister and I made Leek-Celery Root Stuffing for Thanksgiving—my first time eating celery root—I’ve dreamed about the different ways to use this veggie in my cooking.

Don’t be scared by external appearances…the gnarly, hairy and furrowed skin of the celery root, or celeriac, hides a smooth, milky white meat inside that has a wonderful celery-like fragrance and slightly peppery bite. Like most root vegetables, it can be eaten raw—it’s got a terrific crunch. But my favorite way of eating root vegetables is roasting them until they’re soft and tender.

I made this roasted root vegetable dish mostly to use up some veggies that had been sitting around a little too long and that I didn’t want to go to waste, so there wasn’t much variety. I tossed the celery root with yams and carrots, but you could really use any winter vegetable you like—I’ve made mine with potatoes, parsnips, beets and turnips. Sometimes, I’ll throw in other goodies, like winter squashes, fennel, whole garlic cloves and onions. This dish is so easy to make, and it goes a long way. I make a lot at once, and eat it for lunch with a salad and crusty bread, or toss it with quinoa for an interesting twist on a veggie bowl. B eats them as a side to chicken or turkey. You could even smush or puree everything into mash or a soup. It’s really versatile, and as everything is high in fiber, it’s very filling.

Watch out when you cut them into chunks, as some of the vegetables will cook faster than others. The yams tend to cook faster, so go with larger chunks. The celery root and will carrots take more time, so cut them smaller. Throw them on a sheet pan, drizzle them with some extra-virgin olive oil and sprinkle them with freshly cracked pepper and salt. Add some other herbs if you like; I often add some chopped thyme to the mix. Roast everything in an oven preheated to 425 degrees for a minimum of 30 minutes, but probably more like 45 minutes. There isn’t really a science to this; you roast them until they’re as tender as you want them to be, without burning them, of course.