{"id":11852,"date":"2015-01-21T21:35:13","date_gmt":"2015-01-21T21:35:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/greensideup.ie\/?p=11852"},"modified":"2020-10-22T11:05:04","modified_gmt":"2020-10-22T10:05:04","slug":"celeriac-an-unusual-vegetable-for-a-simple-soup-recipe","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/greensideup.ie\/celeriac-an-unusual-vegetable-for-a-simple-soup-recipe\/","title":{"rendered":"Celeriac – An Unusual Root for a Simple Soup"},"content":{"rendered":"
If you’re shopping in supermarkets this winter you may have noticed a ‘new’ vegetable on the shelves – a strange-looking root veg that looks like a misshapen ‘turnip’ (swede), a vegetable the creators of Dr Who could easily have crafted into an alien creature…<\/p>\n
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If you haven’t come across Celeriac<\/strong> before, do look out for it as it makes one of the tastiest soups and creamiest pur\u00e9es I’ve tasted in a long while and can highly recommend you try it.<\/p>\n Celeriac\u00a0has been available for some time in farmers markets and is certainly not new, having been grown and then introduced into *Britain in the 18th Century from the Mediterranean area. It’s rich in Vitamin K which helps bone mass (100g of celeriac can provide over a third of our daily allowance), as well as a healthy dose of fibre. I bought a beauty from a local grower in Kilkenny last Christmas, but it\u2019s the first time I\u2019ve seen these particular roots in local stores.<\/p>\n I’ve mentioned before that vegetables live in families<\/a> and this deceptively flavoursome vegetable is related to carrots, parsnips and celery – all members of the Apacaea family, <\/em>a\u00a0group of vegetables that\u00a0Scientists at the University of Newcastle Upon Tyne are currently researching in relation to their positive effect on cancer and inflammatory diseases.<\/a>\u00a0<\/em>According to the University:<\/p>\n Polyacetylenes are natural plant chemicals that protect the plant from attack and only occur in vegetables of the carrot family and a few other closely related species such as ginseng.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Celeriac, as its name suggests, tastes like a rootier, milder version of celery.<\/p>\n Celeriac is a slow grower so patience is a virtue, though once harvested will store for several months if kept cool and dry. It can be a tad tricky to grow successfully as it doesn’t like the weather to be too hot (not usually a problem here)<\/i>, it needs lots of regular watering\u00a0(which can cause fungus if it\u2019s warm and humid)<\/i> and is very shallow rooted (it’s important the roots aren’t disturbed)<\/i>.<\/p>\n To give celeriac the best chance, it\u2019s recommended by some gardeners to sow the seeds inside in seed trays 10 weeks before last frosts, before planting out in well prepared soil.<\/a> In Ireland that would be around the end of February and I should add at this point that I’ve yet to successfully grow this vegetable. I did come close but it never quite developed enough root before I got fed up waiting and pulled it up. Never one to give in, this year I\u2019ll be trying the seed tray method with a liberal dash of finger crossing and will let you know how I get on. I might also try growing a few in our polytunnel, which is where our carrots fare best as the soil inside isn’t as heavy as outside.<\/p>\nGrowing Celeriac<\/h2>\n
Cooking Celeriac<\/h2>\n