I’ve had a total crush on celeriac (aka celery root) lately. It all started with this dish that I dreamed up as our main for Thanksgiving. I had an idea to marinate some beautiful portobello mushroom caps in a mixture of olive oil, shallots, garlic, sage, rosemary, and thyme before roasting them for a bit in the oven. Once they were done, they would be filled with a velvety smooth celeriac and potato puree punctuated through with fresh chives and black pepper. Since then, I’ve made the dish several more times and it evolved slightly into the version I’m sharing with you today.
I’m not sure what it is about celery root that I like so much. It actually came as a surprise to me because my feelings concerning celery aren’t necessarily that strong. It’s sort of a take it or leave it mentality. I don’t care whether I eat it or not. But celeriac! Oh celeriac. I think perhaps it has to do with the natural grounding qualities of this root. It provides such stability and nourishment that I tend to crave, particularly during this time of year. And, it has a lovely, unique flavor that is so much more than the celery notes present. It’s slightly sweet and grassy with hints of earthy parsley. And, when you mix it with buttery yukon gold potatoes? HEAVEN.
For the version of this recipe I’m sharing with you today, I went with shiitakes instead of portobellos simply because I’m on a bit of a roasted shiitake kick right now. If you have a bit of extra cash, I definitely recommend going with shiitakes because they have so much more umami flavor on their own. But, portobellos will work just as well. Though it’s packed with a lot of flavor, you’ll notice the ingredient list isn’t too long. This is intentional so that the natural goodness of the shiitakes and celeriac can shine through. And, it’s also because I’m not much for fussy, involved recipes most of the time. If you want to make more of a substantial meal, I highly recommend making the sweet potato and sage corn muffins and the winter sunshine salad to go along with the roasted shiitakes and celeriac potato puree 🙂
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I’m going to be really honest with you right now and let you in a little behind the scenes secret. This post and the last post were mostly inspired by what was left rolling around in my fridge and pantry. I didn’t go to the store or farmers market specifically for ingredients. I pretty much let some ideas rolling around in my head and what was available in my kitchen blend together to inspire the recipes. It was an organic process, seeing what was available then going from there. And, it’s a great practice in resourcefulness. It keeps me on my toes and keeps veggies from being forgotten and eventually tossed out because they are way past their prime.
