Homegrown: Celeriac
Celeriac is the veg equivalent of the ugly duckling
It may not be blessed with good looks, but celeriac is absolutely delicious and much underrated. Fresh and sweet, with a beautiful celery flavour raw, it’s nutty and mellow when cooked.
Also known as turnip-rooted celery, it’s actually a member of the carrot family, a close relative of celery, cultivated for its tasty, swollen stem.
Celeriac can be harvested throughout the winter, right through to March, as long as they’ve been covered with a thick layer of straw to protect them from the worst of the frost.
Celeriac looks tough and unapproachable on the outside but the flesh inside is surprisingly delicate, sweet and fresh. The gnarly, knobbly exterior needs hard core peeling! You won’t get very far with a vegetable peeler, although some varieties have now been developed that are smoother and easier to peel.
Slice away all the skin and rooty bits with a sharp knife so you end up with a wonky cube or similar. The exposed white flesh can oxidise and turn brown so have a halved lemon handy to rub over the surfaces.