Recipe: Pickled Celeriac

Ever since I first had celery root pickles at the restaurant Taberna de Haro, celeriac has become my new favorite pickle! I have made many batches of pickled celeriac since, as a cook at Taberna de Haro last year and at home.

-Pickled celery root and beets-

Pickling celeriac with beets gives it a nice purple color

Here I want to share with you my recipe to make celeriac refrigerator pickles, which was published in my town newspaper, the Lexington Minuteman, for the Lexington Farmers' Market. Celery root is in season right now, so it is the perfect time to make these pickles. There are a few more weeks left for the Lexington Farmers' Market for this season, or find celery root at another local farmers market near you.

Celery root

Celeriac to appear at the market

By Annabelle Ho

Published Thursday, September 12, 2013

Celeriac, also known as celery root, was one of my favorite vegetables to weed at the farm last summer, no joke. Celery root contains plenty of fiber, as well as vitamin B6, vitamin K, potassium, phosphorous, and more. Although celeriac may be unfamiliar, there are many ways to cook this versatile vegetable.  The leaves and stems of celeriac can be used just like celery.  Celeriac can be eaten raw and grated into salads, or fermented.  Celery root can also be cooked, such as in soup or roasted with other root vegetables. A celeriac puree is a great alternative to mashed potatoes. However, one of my favorite ways to prepare celeriac is to make celery root pickles. Celeriac is delicious pickled, although this pickling recipe can be used with other vegetables as well. Look for celeriac at the Lexington Farmers' Market to arrive fresh from the farms in a week or so. 

Celeriac Refrigerator Pickles

Ingredients:

1 medium celeriac (about 1 ¼ pounds)

1 teaspoon salt

½ cup sugar

1 cup distilled white vinegar

1 cup water

1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns

1 teaspoon whole coriander seeds

½ teaspoon whole allspice berries

2 bay leaves

2 whole cloves

Directions:

1. Cut off the bottom and top of the celeriac. Peel the celery root and cut into thick matchsticks.
2. Add all of the ingredients except for the celeriac in a pot. Bring the pickling brine to a boil.
3. Add the celeriac and simmer it briefly for about 1 minute, according to taste. Do not simmer the celery root for too long, as it should still have some crunch.
4. Take the pot off the heat and let cool to room temperature.
5. Pour the vegetables and brine into glass jars. Cover the jars and refrigerate them.
6. After 24 hours, eat and enjoy! The pickles can last for up to a few months in the fridge. 

Variations:

• Pickle celeriac with purple beets to give it a purple color.
• Use this pickling brine recipe with other vegetables, such as carrots, radishes, or turnips. Depending on which vegetables you use, how thin the vegetables are cut, and how crunchy you like your pickles, step 3 may be optional, and the raw vegetables can be added to the brine without being simmered.
• Switch up the spices in the mix. For example, dill, cinnamon, and star anise are all good candidates.

Annabelle Ho is a Lexington resident with a Bachelor of Science in nutritional science from Boston University. She maintains a blog at herbalmedicinebox.com, and is a work share volunteer at Waltham Fields Community Farm. Annabelle writes for the Lexington Farmers' Market, and has been a volunteer at the market for several years. The Lexington Farmers' Market is located at the corners of Massachusetts Avenue and Fletcher in the center of Lexington, and is open rain or shine every Tuesday through October.

Quinoa Stuffed Collard Greens

This summer I wrote an article on stuffed collards greens for the Lexington Farmers' Market for the town newspaper, the Lexington Minuteman, and I wanted to share it with you:

Nutritionist suggests way to stuff collard greens
By Annabelle Ho
Published July 11, 2013

Stuffed collard greens are a beautiful and delicious way to eat these veggies! Collard greens are light and nutrient-rich, providing fiber, vitamins K, A, and C, calcium, and more.  Quinoa also packs a nutritional punch. It offers all nine essential amino acids, magnesium, riboflavin (vitamin B2), phosphorous, and other nutrients. Technically a seed, and not a grain, quinoa is also gluten-free. Here is a simple recipe for quinoa stuffed collard greens.

Stuffed collard greens is a healthy recipe for summer dining

Stuffed collard greens

Makes 4 servings

Time: 1 hour

Ingredients:

1 cup quinoa

2 cups water

½ teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup diced onion

2-3 minced garlic cloves

1 cup diced carrots

1 cup diced radishes

1 cup diced summer squash

2 teaspoons fresh oregano

3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint

½ teaspoon ground black pepper

3 tablespoons lemon juice

8 large collard leaves

Directions:

1. Rinse the quinoa well in a strainer and drain, to remove the bitter residue. Add the quinoa, water, and salt in a saucepan. Cover and bring to a simmer, then simmer the quinoa for 15 minutes. Remove from heat, and let stand for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork.
2. While the quinoa is cooking, warm the oil in a skillet on medium heat. Add the onions and cook until tender, about 8 minutes. Next, add the garlic, carrots, radishes, summer squash, oregano, mint, and black pepper. Cover the vegetables and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are just tender, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Mix in the lemon juice and cooked quinoa, and add salt and pepper to taste.
3. Remove the large part of the main stem from each collard leaf. Boil or steam the leaves until they are soft, about 1 minute. Lay the leaves flat on a plate to cool. When the leaves are cool enough to handle, lay a leaf flat, vein side up, with the leaf tip away from you. If the leaf has a space in the middle where the stem was cut away, overlap the two sides of the leaf slightly. Put about ½ cup of the quinoa filling in the bottom center of the leaf. Fold the sides of the leaf over the filling, and then roll it up carefully and tightly to form a package. Place in a lightly oiled 8-inch square baking pan, seam side down. Repeat with the rest of the collard greens.
4. Cover and bake the stuffed greens in a preheated 350°F oven for about 10 minutes, or until hot.

Variations:

Substitute the quinoa, vegetables, or herbs in this recipe for other ingredients that are local and in season.

The recipe was adapted from "Moosewood Restaurant Cooking for Health."

Many of these ingredients can be purchased from vendors at the Lexington Farmers' Market. Cook and enjoy.

Annabelle Ho is a Lexington resident with a Bachelor of Science in nutritional science from Boston University. She maintains a blog at herbalmedicinebox.com, and is a work-share volunteer at Waltham Fields Community Farm.