Winter Vegetable and Chicken Stew

Martha Stewart

• ·  2 ounces boneless skinless chicken thighs (about 4 pieces)
• ·  1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast halves (about 3 pieces)
• ·  1/2 teaspoon coarse salt, plus more for cooking water
• ·  1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• ·  4 slender carrots, peeled
• ·  3 large celery ribs
• ·  2 medium parsnips (6 ounces), peeled
• ·  4 small onions, peeled and quartered lengthwise with roots attached
• ·  3 cups water
• ·  One 14 1/2-ounce can low-sodium chicken broth, skimmed of fat
• ·  1 tablespoon fresh rosemary leaves or 1 teaspoon dried
• ·  1/2 pound wide egg noodles
• ·  1/4 cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• ·  1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• ·  4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• ·  1 bunch Swiss chard (1 1/2 pounds), coarsely chopped with stems
• ·  2 ounces shaved Parmesan cheese

1. Cut chicken into 1-inch pieces; season with salt and pepper. Heat a 6-quart Dutch oven over medium heat until hot. Add half of chicken to pot; cook, turning occasionally, until nicely browned, about 7 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl. Repeat with remaining chicken; set aside.
2. Meanwhile, cut carrots, celery, and parsnips into 3/4-inch pieces. Place vegetables, onions, water, broth, and rosemary in Dutch oven; scrape browned bits from the bottom. Cover; bring to a simmer over low heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are barely tender, about 10 minutes.
3. Cook noodles in a saucepan of boiling salted water until al dente; drain. Stir noodles, parsley, chicken, and any collected juices in the bowl into pot. Cook on low until chicken is heated through, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat; keep warm.
4. Meanwhile, melt butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic; stir until golden, about 1 minute. Add chard; cook, turning occasionally, until tender, about 5 minutes. Divide chard among six bowls. Ladle soup on top; serve with shaved Parmesan cheese.

Chard and White Bean Stew

Smitten Kitchen

Adapted a bit generously from Dan Barber

I started with a recipe from Dan Barber for a kale and white bean stew, even though I knew it wasn’t what I wanted. I have yet to get over my dislike of kale, despite a brief period of acceptance when I learned how to make it into chips. I used chard instead, but you could use any green you’ve got, even spinach. (Though if you are unfamiliar with chard but like spinach, trust me, you’ll love chard.) I also only used 2/3 of the greens suggested, because I really want this to be a white bean, not greens, stew. Then, I swapped some of the vegetable broth for pureed tomatoes, because that’s what I think a bean stew needs. I dialed back the broth a bit, because I don’t like soupy stews… Oh, and I added some weights and then (typical!) forgot I was weighing ingredients so only some are listed. Sorry about that.

Finally, I cooked the wine down more than suggested because I wanted to make sure I wasn’t accidentally going to booze up the kid so that he might accidentally get a good night’s sleep. Because that would be terrible, you know?

• 1 pound Swiss chard (can also swap kale, spinach or another green), ribs and stems removed and cleaned
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 cup (5 1/4 ounces) chopped carrots
• 1 cup (5 ounces) chopped celery
• 1 cup (4 1/4 ounces) chopped shallots, about 4 medium
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 2 15-ounce cans (or about 3 3/4 cups) white beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 cups (or more to taste) vegetable broth
• 1 cup pureed tomatoes (from a can/carton/your jarred summer supply)
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 3 fresh thyme sprigs
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar

Toasted bread slices, poached eggs (tutorial), chopped herbs such as tarragon, parsley or chives or grated Parmesan or Romano to serve (optional)

Bring medium pot of salted water to boil. Cook chard (or any heavier green; no need to precook baby spinach) for one minute, then drain and squeeze out as much extra water as possible. Coarsely chop chard.

Wipe out medium pot to dry it, and heat olive oil over medium. Add carrots, celery, shallots and garlic and saute for 15 minutes. Barber warns not to brown them but I didn’t mind a light golden color on them. Add wine (scraping up any bits that have stuck to the pot) and cook it until it reduced by three-fourths. Add beans, broth, tomatoes, a few pinches of salt, freshly ground black pepper, thyme and bay leaf and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 20 minutes. Add chard and cook for 5 minutes more. Remove thyme and bay leaf. Add more broth if you’d like a thinner stew and adjust salt and pepper to taste.

Serve as is drizzled with sherry vinegar. Or you can ladle the stew over thick piece of toasted country bread or baguette that has been rubbed lightly with half a clove of garlic, top that with a poached egg and a few drops of sherry vinegar and/or some grated cheese.   

Winter Minestrone

Ingredients

• ¼ cup olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 carrots, peeled, chopped
• 2 celery stalks, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 medium yellow onion
• 1 large potato (skin on), cubed
• 8 ounces (or one big bunch) Swiss chard, stems trimmed, leaves coarsely chopped
• 1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes, fire roasted preferred
• 1 ¼ cup dry cannellini beans, cooked (or 3 cups canned cannellinis)
• 1/2 cup dry barley, cooked (it will yield about 1 ½ cups cooked)
• 6-7 cups vegetable broth (water may also be used)
• 2 tablespoons dried Italian basil
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 2 teaspoons dried thyme, or 1 tablespoon fresh
• If meat eater- add bacon or pancetta (traditional recipe) for more flavor 
• ¼ cup fresh Italian parsley, chopped
• Salt and pepper

[Cook's Illustrated adds Parmesan rind for more flavor- cook with stock/water then remove at end.]

Heat the oil in a heavy large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, celery and garlic. Sauté until the onion is translucent, about 7 minutes. Add the potato and sauté for 2 minutes. Stir in the Swiss chard and cook for two more minutes. Add canned tomatoes, heat until tomatoes begin to break apart and then add 6 cups of the broth. Stir in beans, barley, and all of the seasonings except parsley. At this point you may want to add the other cup of broth, depending on how thick or thin you like your soup - entirely up to you. Simmer for about 15 minutes, until potato cubes are soft. Give the pot a good stir so that the beans and tomatoes begin to break apart, adding a nice texture to the broth. Stir in fresh parsley, salt and pepper, then serve. Grate some fresh Parmesan/Reggiano to garnish.

Lentil Soup with Sausage, Chard and Garlic

Smitten Kitchen
Adapted from Secrets of the Best Chefs, where it was provided by Gina DePalma

This soup is hearty and intense and the absolutely best remedy for a brittle, cold winter day — a meal in a bowl that also leaves your home smelling amazing. (I kinda wanted to eat the air.) A few other things I liked about it: it didn’t require you to have broth or stock on hand; you only need to use water because the other ingredients are so aromatic and deeply flavored, it’s not necessary. You could easily make it vegetarian by skipping the sausage. And you could veganize it by skipping the sausage and romano cheese. What you are absolutely not allowed to skip is the sizzling garlic oil as a finish. Drizzled onto the bowls at the last minute (especially with the salty romano cheese on top), it raises the bar, unforgettably.

One P.S. I have a weird aversion to overcooked greens in soups, so only added what I needed right before serving, into the portion we were going to eat. It kept them vibrant, and I kept the leftover greens for today’s eagerly anticipated leftovers.

Serves 6

• 1/2 cup olive oil, divided
• 4 large links of sweet Italian sausage, casings removed (I used half of this, preferring the sausage to not dominate the soup’s flavor)
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2 celery stalks, sliced or diced
• 2 medium carrots, peeled and sliced into half-moons or diced
• 4 cloves garlic, sliced (reserve half for later in recipe)
• Kosher salt
• A pinch of crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
• 1 cup brown lentils, sorted and rinsed
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
• 6 cups water
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 3 to 4 cups shredded or thinly ribboned Swiss chard leaves or kale
• Grated Pecorino Romano cheese to finish

Heat 1/4 cup olive oil (enough to coat bottom of pot) in a large pot on medium heat. When hot, add the sausage, breaking it up with a wooden spoon until it starts to brown, about five minutes. Add the onion, celery, carrots, first two garlic cloves, a pinch fo salt, and if you like your soup spicy, a pinch of red pepper flakes. Cook with the sausage until the vegetables soften a bit, another 5 minutes. Add the lentils, bay leaves, tomatoes, water, more salt and black pepper to taste. Bring to a simmer and allow to cook until the lentils are tender, about 40 minutes. (It might be necessary to add more water if the soup gets too thick, though we preferred ours on the thick side.)

When the lentils are cooked, add the chard and cook until the leaves are tender, just a few minutes more. Discard the bay leaves.

To finish, divide soup among bowls, then add the remaining 1/4 cup olive oil and 2 garlic cloves to a small skillet and heat over medium until the garlic softens and hisses. Drizzle this over soup bowls, and top with fresh Romano, passing more at the table. Leftovers will keep for several days in the fridge.

Leek, Potato and Celeriac Soup

Ingredients

• ¼ cup Butter 
• 4 Leeks; roots & tops removed 
• 3 mediums Potatoes; scrubbed and cut into 1/2" slices 
• 1 Celeriac knob; peeled and cut into 1" chunks 
• 4 cups Chicken or vegetable stock 
• Thyme, basil and/or marjoram (Fresh), to taste

Directions

Melt butter in stockpot. Slice leeks into 1/4-inch slices and add to stockpot. Saute for 5 minutes until golden. Add potatoes and celeriac and saute for 5 minutes. Cover and cook for 3 minutes. Stir in 1 cup stock, cover and continue to cook until potatoes are tender, about 25 minutes. Remove from heat. Pour vegetables and stock into a food processor or blender and puree. Return puree to stockpot and add remaining stock and herbs. Cover and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. Serve hot.

Stuffed Peppers

From Food Network

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons cooking oil
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 1 bell pepper, chopped
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1/2 pound breakfast sausage
• 2 garlic cloves, finely diced
• 8 ounces cream cheese
• 1/3 cup freshly chopped parsley leaves
• 1 tablespoon hot sauce
• 1/4 cup bread crumbs
• 20 Anaheim or Poblano peppers, cut in 1/2, seeds removed

Directions

In a saute pan over medium-high heat add the oil. Once heated add the celery, bell peppers and onion and saute for about 8 minutes. Add sausage and garlic and brown. Add cream cheese and stir until melted. Take off heat and stir in parsley, hot sauce and bread crumbs. Let cool. 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. 

Stuff peppers with vegetable and cheese mixture and bake for 15 minutes or grill until char develops. 

Ginger Soba Noodles with Mustard Greens

from 101 Cookbooks

Note from MIG: Add mustard greens to this by sautéing (just until wilted) in olive, grapeseed or canola oil and maybe a bit of rice vinegar or any of the following: lime juice, soy sauce (just a bit), more grated ginger

12 oz / 340 g dried soba noodles

Ginger Dressing:

1 tablespoon freshly grated fresh ginger
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
zest and juice of 1/2 a lemon
1/2 cup / 2.5 oz / 70 g chopped white onion
1 teaspoon mirin (optional)
2 teaspoons brown sugar or honey
1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
3 tablespoons brown rice vinegar
1 celery stalk, strings removed, then chopped
1/3 cup / 80 sunflower oil or untoasted sesame oil

3 tablespoons of chopped tarragon, plus more to taste

a few big handfuls of cubed tofu, pan-fried or baked until golden

1/3 cup + toasted squash seeds, pumpkin seeds, walnuts, or sesame seeds

Cook the soba noodles in well salted water, drain, rinse under cold water, and shake off as much of the water as possible.

In the meantime, make the dressing by combining the ginger, toasted sesame oil, lemon zest and juice, onion, mirin, sugar, salt, vinegar, celery, and sunflower oil in a food processor. Blend until very smooth, then press aggressively through a strainer. Taste and tweak a bit if needed - the dressing should have a bit of bite, and an edge. It'll hit the pasta and you want it to be able to cut the starchiness. Set the dressing aside.

In a large bowl, toss the soba noodles with most of the tarragon, the tofu, most of the squash seeds/nuts, and about 2/3 of the dressing. Really get in there and toss well. Add more dressing if needed (I use all of it), and season again until the noodles are to your liking. It's nice to serve this with a few wedges of lemon on the side, or a bit of brown rice vinegar. Finish with the remaining tarragon and seeds.

Serves 4 - 6.

Prep time: 10 min - Cook time: 20 min

Leek, Potato and Celeriac Soup

Ingredients

• ¼ cup Butter 
• 4 Leeks; roots & tops removed 
• 3 mediums Potatoes; scrubbed and cut into 1/2" slices 
• 1 Celeriac knob; peeled and cut into 1" chunks 
• 4 cups Chicken or vegetable stock 
• Thyme, basil and/or marjoram (Fresh), to taste

Directions

Melt butter in stockpot. Slice leeks into 1/4-inch slices and add to stockpot. Saute for 5 minutes until golden. Add potatoes and celeriac and saute for 5 minutes. Cover and cook for 3 minutes. Stir in 1 cup stock, cover and continue to cook until potatoes are tender, about 25 minutes. Remove from heat. Pour vegetables and stock into a food processor or blender and puree. Return puree to stockpot and add remaining stock and herbs. Cover and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. Serve hot.

Ribollia

From Epicurious

Ribollita is a classic Tuscan soup that's made up of vegetable soup mixed with pieces of rustic bread. This version is packed with veggies—white beans, kale, chard, potatoes, tomatoes—and served with a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil

Ingredients

• 13 cups (or more) water, divided
• 1 1/4 cups dried cannellini (white kidney beans; about 8 ounces) (or sub canned, cooked beans-add at end)
• 12 large fresh sage leaves
• 8 garlic cloves; 5 sliced, 3 chopped
• 2 teaspoons (or more) fine sea salt, divided
• 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided, plus additional for drizzling
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 large celery stalks, diced
• 1 medium carrot, chopped
• 1 large unpeeled Yukon Gold potato, scrubbed, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 1 small fennel bulb, trimmed, quartered through core, sliced crosswise
• 1 large pinch of dried thyme
• 1 small bunch black kale,* cut crosswise into 1-inch ribbons (about 6 cups)
• 1 small bunch green chard (about 4 large leaves), center stem removed, cut crosswise into 1-inch-wide          ribbons (about 6 cups)
• 4 cups thinly sliced savoy cabbage
• 5 large plum tomatoes, chopped
• 1 2-inch square Parmesan cheese rind
• Pinch of dried crushed red pepper
• 2 cups (or more) Light Vegetable Broth or good-quality canned vegetable broth (such as Swanson)
• 6 1/2-inch-thick slices country white bread, coarsely torn with crusts

Directions

Combine 8 cups water, beans, sage, and sliced garlic in large saucepan. Bring to boil; reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until beans are tender, stirring occasionally and adding more water by 1/4 cupfuls to keep beans submerged, 2 to 2 1/2 hours, depending on age of beans. Add 1 teaspoon sea salt; simmer 10 minutes. Uncover and cool beans in liquid. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill in cooking liquid.

Heat 3 tablespoons oil in large pot over medium heat. Add onion; sprinkle with sea salt. Cook until onion is translucent, stirring often, about 5 minutes. Add chopped garlic; stir 2 minutes. Add celery, carrot, potato, fennel, and thyme; cook until vegetables are tender and begin to turn brown in spots, stirring often, 15 to 18 minutes. Add kale, chard, cabbage, tomatoes, Parmesan rind, 5 cups water, and 1 teaspoon sea salt. Bring to boil; reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until vegetables are very tender, about 1 1/2 hours. Add beans with cooking liquid and crushed red pepper. Add 2 cups broth. Season with salt and generous amount of pepper. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cool, cover, and chill. Rewarm before continuing.

Add bread to soup and simmer, stirring often to break up bread into smaller pieces and adding more broth by 1/2 cupfuls to thin, if desired. Season with sea salt and pepper.

Divide ribollita among bowls, drizzle with oil, and serve.

Baked Orzo with Eggplant and Mozzarella

from the Smitten Kitchen

Adapted from Yotam Ottolenghi

I made a couple changes to this recipe due to personal preferences. The original called for a lot of carrots and celery (4 carrots, 3 celery stalks) but I wanted them to just be a background flavor, not main ingredient. I also chopped them more finely. I used a lot less lemon zest and oregano than was suggested because I was nervous but ended up wishing for more of each so I’ve listed the range from my amount to the suggested one below. Finally, the tomatoes were intended to be sliced and then arranged across the top of the dish as it baked. If you’d like to do it this way, sprinkle them with a teaspoon of dried oregano, salt and pepper before you bake it. I chopped them for two reasons: I wanted the tomatoes inside the dish and I also like the crunchy lid of a baked pasta dish. A layer of tomatoes would protect you from that if you’re not into it. (You probably don’t like pudding skin either, do you? It’s okay. We can still be friends.)

You could easily use whole wheat orzo here, or I suspect, another grain. However, you’ll have to do a bit of fiddling with the broth level to adjust for each one. Grains that take longer than pasta to cook (just about all of them) would probably benefit from par-cooking before they go in.

A few other substitions: I didn’t have any vegetable broth and used water. I felt it wasn’t lacking at all for flavor. If you don’t have fresh tomatoes, you can use canned ones (though fresh will hold up better on top). If you don’t have fresh oregano, use half the amount of dried oregano. If you don’t like or don’t have either, thyme, fresh or dried, would work well here but it’s much stronger in flavor and only half as much should be needed.

Serves 4

1 large (mine was just over 1 1/4 pounds/570 grams) eggplant, cut into 3/4-inch dice
Salt and black pepper
1/4 cup (60 ml) olive oil
1 medium carrot, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch dice
1 celery stalk, in a 1/4-inch dice
1 medium onion, finely diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
8 ounces (225 grams) orzo, a rice-shaped pasta, rinsed
1 teaspoon (6 grams) tomato paste
1 1/2 cups (355 ml) vegetable stock
1 to 3 tablespoons fresh oregano, chopped
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest or more to taste, up to the zest of a whole lemon
4 ounces (115 grams) mozzarella, firmer is better here, cut into 1/3-inch dice
1 1/2 ounces (a generous 1/2 cup or 45 grams) parmesan, grated
3 medium tomatoes, diced

Sprinkle your eggplant generously with salt and let it drain in a colander for 30 minutes. I used this time to get the rest of my ingredients ready. After 30 minutes, rinse it well and pat it dry on towels.

Preheat your oven to 350°F. Heat a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the oil and once the oil is shimmering, add the eggplant. Fry for 8 minutes, stirring pieces occasionally. Using a slotted spoon or spatula, transfer them to paper towels to drain. Add celery and carrots to remaining oil and cook for 3 minutes before adding onion and garlic. Cook together for 5 more minutes on medium heat. Stir in the orzo and tomato paste and cook for two minutes more. Off the heat, add the oregano, mozzarella, parmesan, tomatoes, fried eggplant, lemon zest, 1 teaspoon table salt, many grinds of black pepper and the stock and mix well.

Transfer mixture to an 8×11-inch (about 2 quarts) ovenproof baking dish. Cover with foil and bake 20 minutes, then bake 20 minutes without the foil. (You can increase the ration of foil-on to foil-off time if you don’t like a crunchy pasta lid.) Let rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Roasted Chicken with Celery Root and Red Onion

1 whole chicken (3 1/2 to 4 pounds), patted dry 
Coarse salt and ground pepper 
1 large red onion, cut into 1/2-inch wedges, root end left intact 
1 medium celery root (about 1 pound), peeled and cut into 1/2-inch wedges 
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon red-pepper flakes 
4 teaspoons lemon zest, plus 4 teaspoons lemon juice

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Season chicken inside and out with salt and pepper. Tuck wing tips underneath chicken and tie legs together with kitchen twine. Place on a rimmed baking sheet and roast 20 minutes. 2. Remove sheet from oven and arrange onion and celery root around chicken, turning to coat with drippings. Top vegetables with red-pepper flakes and season with salt and pepper. Roast until vegetables are tender and juices run clear when chicken is pierced between breast and leg (an instant-read thermometer should read 165 degrees when inserted into the thickest part of a thigh, avoiding bone), about 30 minutes, flipping vegetables halfway through. Let chicken rest 10 minutes before carving. To serve, sprinkle chicken and vegetables with lemon zest and juice.

Root Vegetables Annas

From Bon Appetite

This side is a riff on pommes Anna, a classic French dish of sliced, layered potatoes cooked in a shallow pan. In this modern version, the potatoes are joined by slices of celery root and turnip.

Ingredients

• Nonstick vegetable oil spray
• 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) butter,melted, divided
• 1 1/4 pounds russet potatoes, peeled, cut into scant 1/8-inch-thick rounds (sub red potatoes, unpeeled)
• 1/2 3-inch-diameter celery root (celeriac), trimmed, peeled, halved, very thinly sliced (1 1/4 cups to 1 1/2 cups)
• 1 medium turnip, peeled, halved, very thinly sliced (1 1/4 cups to 1 1/2 cups)
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary

Directions 

Spray 9 1/2-inch-diameter nonstick oven-proof skillet with vegetable oil spray; add 2 tablespoons melted butter. Arrange half of potato rounds in skillet, overlapping in concentric circles. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Alternate celery root slices and turnip slices atop potatoes in overlapping concentric circles. Sprinkle with rosemary, then lightly with salt and pepper. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons melted butter. Top with remaining potato slices in overlapping concentric circles. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Press with spatula to compact.  Preheat oven to 400°F. Cook vegetables over medium heat 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover and cook until bottom layer is golden, about 25 minutes. Uncover and drizzle with 2 tablespoons melted butter. Transfer skillet to oven; bake uncovered until vegetables are very tender and golden, 20 to 25 minutes.  Run small knife around vegetables to loosen from skillet. Place large platter atop skillet. Using pot holders, firmly hold skillet and platter together and invert vegetables onto platter. Cut into wedges and serve.

Leek, Potato and Celeriac Soup

Ingredients

• ¼ cup Butter 

• 4 Leeks; roots & tops removed 
• 3 mediums Potatoes; scrubbed and cut into 1/2" slices 
• 1 Celeriac knob; peeled and cut into 1" chunks 
• 4 cups Chicken or vegetable stock 
• Thyme, basil and/or marjoram (Fresh), to taste

Directions

Melt butter in stockpot. Slice leeks into 1/4-inch slices and add to stockpot. Saute for 5 minutes until golden. Add potatoes and celeriac and saute for 5 minutes. Cover and cook for 3 minutes. Stir in 1 cup stock, cover and continue to cook until potatoes are tender, about 25 minutes. Remove from heat. Pour vegetables and stock into a food processor or blender and puree. Return puree to stockpot and add remaining stock and herbs. Cover and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. Serve hot.

Celeriac Gratin From Martha Stewart

Ingredients

• Unsalted butter, for the dish
• 4 shallots, thinly sliced
• 3 medium bulbs celeriac
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• Freshly grated nutmeg
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 3/4 cup freshly grated Gruyere cheese
• 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Butter a 1 1/2-quart gratin dish. Scatter shallots over bottom of dish. Trim celeriac by cutting off bottom and top, then cutting off thick outer layer with a sharp knife. Cut into 1/4-inch slices, and then julienne. Arrange evenly in gratin dish. Sprinkle thyme leaves over celeriac.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together cream, mustard, nutmeg, and salt and pepper. Pour over celeriac, and sprinkle with cheeses. Cover with foil, and bake for 20 minutes.
3. Remove foil, and continue baking until top is brown and bubbly and cream is thickened and reduced, about 20 more minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes, and serve.

Celeriac Mash

Ingredients

• 3 cups 1/2-inch dice peeled celeriac (celery root; from about one 18-ounce celeriac)
• 1 12-ounce russet potato, peeled, cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks (about 2 1/2 cups)
• 1/4 cup whipping cream
• 2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter

Directions

Cook celeriac in large saucepan of boiling salted water 15 minutes. Add potato and boil until celeriac and potato are very tender, about 15 minutes longer. Drain. Return to same saucepan; stir over medium-high heat until any excess liquid in pan evaporates, about 2 minutes. Add cream and butter; mash until mixture is almost smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Celery Root and Potato Mash

Ingredients

• 1 pound celery root (celeriac), peeled, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (about 4 cups)
• 2 1/2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled, cut into 1-inch pieces (about 6 1/2 cups) [German Butterballs are a fine sub]  
• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• 1/2 cup (or more) whole milk
• 1/4 cup chopped celery leaves

Directions

Cook celery root in large pot of boiling salted water 5 minutes. Add potatoes to pot; cook until all vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes. Drain. Return vegetables to pot; stir over medium-high heat until dry, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat; add butter. Using potato masher, mash vegetables until butter is incorporated. Add 1/2 cup milk; mash until almost smooth, adding more milk as needed. Stir in celery leaves. Season with salt and pepper.

Potato and Celeriac Mash

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 pounds German Butterball, Yellow Finn or Yukon Gold potatoes 
• 1 1-pound celery root (celeriac), peeled, cut into 3/4" cubes
• 1 6" piece of horseradish, peeled, coarsely grated
• 1 1/2 cups sour cream
• 3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) unsalted butter
• Kosher salt

Directions

Place potatoes, celery root, and horseradish in a large pot. Add water to cover by 1". Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-high, and simmer until vegetables are tender, 25-30 minutes.

Drain, reserving 1 cup cooking liquid. Return vegetables to pot; add sour cream, Dijon mustard, and butter. Using a potato masher, coarsely mash vegetables. Add reserved cooking liquid by tablespoonfuls if mash is too stiff. Season to taste with salt.

Celeriac and Apple Mash with Blue Cheese

From Martha Stewart

There are MANY versions of the celeriac mash recipe, our favorites incude apples and/or cider. Potatoes are added to mellow the celery flavor.

Ingredients

• 1 3/4 cups homemade or low-sodium store-bought chicken stock
• 1 cup water
• 1 pound celeriac (also called celery root), peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 pound Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 medium Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored, and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 medium shallot, coarsely chopped
• 1 dried bay leaf
• Coarse salt
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
• 3/4 ounce blue cheese (about 2 tablespoons), such as Buttermilk Blue, Danish blue, or Roquefort (see the Guide), plus more for crumbling

Directions

Bring stock, water, celeriac, potatoes, apple, shallot, bay leaf, and 1 teaspoon salt to a boil in a large pot. Cook until tender, about 10 minutes. Strain, reserving liquid; discard bay leaf. Return celeriac, potatoes, apple, and shallot to pot, and add 3/4 cup reserved cooking liquid. Coarsely mash with a potato masher. Using a fork, mash together butter and blue cheese in a small bowl. Stir into celeriac mixture. Season with salt. (Mash can be made up to 1 hour ahead; transfer to a heatproof bowl, cover, and set over a pan of barely simmering water, stirring occasionally.)  Spoon into a warm serving bowl, and crumble blue cheese over top.

Borscht

From Signature Dishes from Around the World by Paolo Pac and Roberto Mottadelli  

Directions

• 6 cups water                                 
• 3 potatoes, quartered
• 3/4 tablespoon salt                        
• 1/3 cup butter
• 1/2 cup finely chopped carrots    
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1 1/2 cups canned tomatoes        
•  3 cups finely shredded cabbage, divided
• 1/2 stalk celery, chopped              
• 2-3 beets medium beets
• 1/2 cup tomatoes                         
• 1 tablespoon dried dill weed
• 3/4 cup diced potatoes                  
• Salt and ground black pepper to taste

Directions

Place water, salt, carrots, 1/2 of the bell pepper, celery, beet, tomatoes, and quartered potatoes in a large stock pot over high heat. Bring to a boil. Melt 1/3 cup butter in a separate skillet over medium heat. Saute onions in butter until tender, approximately 5 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, reduce heat to medium low, and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove 1/2 cup of sauce from skillet, and set aside. Stir half of the cabbage into the skillet with remaining sauce, and continue simmering 5 minutes more, or until tender. Remove beet from boiling liquid and discard. Remove potatoes with a slotted spoon or tongs, and place in a bowl with remaining 1 tablespoon of butter and the cream. Mash together until smooth. Return the 1/2 cup of reserved onion-tomato sauce to the stock pot. Stir in diced potatoes, and simmer until just tender but still firm, approximately 5 minutes. Increase heat to a low boil, and stir in remaining cabbage, tomato sauce, and mashed potatoes. Reduce heat and simmer a few minutes more. Stir in remaining bell pepper, season with black pepper, and serve.