Saturday, November 19, 2011

The Root of our Family Tree



Celeriac, otherwise known as Knob Celery, has been
the root of our family tree longer than I've been around.
OFD  is when we all enjoy it in a salad made very much
like German Potato Salad.  In fact it's virtually identical,
except that the knobs are used in place of boiled potatoes.
And the keeper of the tradition (Mom) includes chicory 
leaves for garnish and texture.  They're tangy and add a
slight crunch.  They happen to be my favorite part.

It's a grotesque looking vegetable, with roots and knobs
protruding in all directions, and I imagine most folks are 
just plain scared to tackle the thing.  The stalks resemble 
celery, but are more tough and bitter than their cousins.
The prize is definitely the bulbous root.  The whole root
is boiled in salted water in its jacket 'til tender, cooled, 
and then peeled and cubed.  Next step is to toss the cubes
in a simple vinaigrette with thinly sliced onions and chicory
and left to sit, marinating.  Close to service is when
mayonnaise is folded in, although not too much, just enough
to coat all involved, and then salt and pepper to taste.


It's a cold side dish to an otherwise warm array of 
accompaniments (except for cranberries which I don't 
dislike but have never found a use for on THXG).
You'll find yourself raiding the fridge early Thanksgiving
Friday morning, in your underwear, eating it from the 
tupperware with a fork, alternating bites with tugs of 
cold milk straight from the jug. 

3 comments:

  1. Ah, the high holy dish of OFD.

    As Baydog observes, "it's a cold side dish", not the center plate attraction.

    Don't be fooled though. To the extent there is ever any anxiety among our family on OFD, you can be sure it's over the take-home allocation of the leftover knob salad.

    Regarding Baydog's closing thought, and as his overnight host for the last several years now, I can verify that the surveillance cameras in our kitchen have recorded him in that very act.

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  2. Actually that sound very tasty. I might add some mustard powder and a dash of cumin and HOW IN THE WORLD DID YOUR GUYS LOOSE TO THE EAGLES!!!!! That DeSean Jackson should have incited a riot from the Giants bench. VINCE YOUNG! WHAT! oh and always use sea salt. (All joking aside I am going to try to make this I always see celery root and never knew what to do with them, now I know!) You, Ellen, Hanna, Olivia and rest that is yours have a great Thanksgiving!

    -doug

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