In the spotlight - Celeriac

Admittedly not the prettiest of veg - if indeed veg can be called pretty, though there is something quite appealing about the tree-like appearance of broccoli or brightly coloured peppers - and probably not one that you regularly use, celeriac deserves a profile lift. That's precisely one of the aims of my blog, to encourage you to go along the road less travelled where fruit and veg are concerned. So don't be put off by its knobbly appearance, once the skin is removed there's a little gem inside waiting to add flavour to your savoury dishes.

• The name is a bit of a give away that it belongs to the same family as celery and has a similar taste.
• It's unusual for a root vegetable, as it has a low starch content. As far as vitamins are concerned, celeriac is a source of Vitamin C and B6.
• You might not immediately think about serving celeriac raw, but you can grate it to add to a salad or coleslaw. More commonly, it's served mashed, either alone or with other root veg, or added to soups or stews.
• I've struggled to find many interesting facts about celeriac, which is a shame. One bit of trivia I did stumble across is that apparently some people drink cocktails through a celeriac stalk, very bizarre!

Oven chips - the celeriac way

• Top and tail the celeriac before removing the skin. Cut the celeriac into thumb-size pieces to give chunky chips - as a general rule a celeriac will serve 2 or 3 people, but obviously depends on the size and how hungry you are!
• Add the celeriac chips to a pan of boiling water and boil for 2-3 mins. Drain, then return to the pan. 
• Add 1-2tbsp of vegetable oil to coat (you might be able to get away with less) and add your preferred seasoning - ground black pepper, a tsp of paprika or curry powder would all work well.
• Once on a baking tray, add to a preheated oven (230 degrees C/gas mark 8) and cook for 30-35 mins, giving them a shake once or twice during cooking to ensure they don't stick.

Celeriac and courgette curry - serves 2
Both veg will soak up the spices nicely in this dish.

• Cut a small celeriac into chunks and boil gently for 10 mins, then add a chopped courgette and cook for a further 5 mins.
• Meanwhile chop an onion and cook in a little oil until golden in colour.
• Add a tin of chopped tomatoes to the onions, along with 1tsp each of ground cumin, ground coriander, ground ginger and garam masala.
• Add the drained celeriac and courgette to the pan with the tomato, onion and spices, heating gently for 10 mins.
• Serve with boiled rice or chapatti and a side salad

Perhaps if any of you already use celeriac in your cooking, you might be able to share your favourite celeriac recipe with the rest of us?