Give Me Some Food

Ahh, yes. The celery root or celeriac. It has been called the octopus of the vegetable world for reasons I can't understand. I would have called it a mutated hedgehog. Though the celeriac is like an octopus in the fact that as a small child you probably had nightmares about both creatures grabbing your legs and pulling you down the the bottom of a tropic lagoon to drown while your parents played bridge on the shore.

Anyway- every year I make a resolution to eat more vegetables- so here I am again (though I'm sure I'll be living off of fruit, granola and yogurt by November) ready to experiment with another foreign piece of produce.

I found this recipe for the celery root slaw in the January '07 issue of Gourmet. Though they ripped it off from Tarbell's restaurant in Phoenix, AZ, and I changed the recipe a bit as well. It has some seared ahi tuna to go with it, but I think any firm, sear-able fish would work well. And because the slaw is so strong (in a good way) I don't think you need any extra sauce with whatever fish you serve it with.

Serves 4

1 lb celery root
1 seedless cucumber (I used a regular peeled one)
1/3 c. mayo
1/2 c. capers
1/2 c. chopped fresh basil
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Peel celery root. I needed a knife to accomplish this. Grate the celery root - discard any large pieces. Grate the cucumber and put into a sieve. Press on cucumber to discard excess liquid. Add to grated celery root. All all other ingredients and mix well. Cover and chill at least one hour and up to two days.

Serve with fish of choice: