As we argued our case for you guys to give celery another chance, we realized that we'd also neglected to highlight our other favorite part of the celery plant: the root. Celery root (also called celeriac) is like getting to eat a potato that tastes like a kinder, gentler celery. Celery root behaves a bit like a potato when it's cooked, but has significantly less starch and way more vitamin B6. So, if you'd like, you can kind of think of it as a healthier potato.
There are only two reasons we can think of for people to ignore celery root: 1) they don't know what it is (which, we've just sorted out for you above), and 2) they are shunning it because it is ugly. The truth is, like most wonderful things in life, celery root is hiding its beauty in an ugly package. If you want to love celery root, you've got to be willing to peel off the brown, hairy skin, before you can appreciate the emeraldy-white interior. It's worth it, we promise. We love celery root in lots of different ways -- as a silky purée, or a rich soup, a crunchy salad or a decadent gratin. We have a lot of favorite celery root recipes. Here are just a few.
