By Georgeanne Brennan, SF Chronicle January 10, 2015 - Serves 6
Georgeanne Brennan and her husband Jim Schrupp are old friends of Nigel’s. Nigel refers to Jim as his mentor and the man he calls every time Nigel is stumped by a problem and needing a creative solution. Georgeanne has written many cookbooks, writes for the Chronicle, Sunset Magazine and Edible. They grew celeriac this year from starts Nigel gave them. In the article she lists lots of ways she enjoys using celeriac, including crudite topping for shepherd’s pie, in salads or in chicken pot pie. I know I have listed Celeriac Soup in the past but this is such a delicious, simple recipe and a great use for this vegetable.
3 TB unsalted Butter
2 lbs Celery Root, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes
3 stalks Celery, including leaves, chopped
4 Leeks, white parts only, chopped
1 Shallot, peeled and chopped or use some of the fresh Onion from this week’s share
1 tsp Sea Salt
Pinch Red Pepper Flakes or Cayenne Pepper, to taste
1/2 cup dry White Wine
5 cups Eatwell Farm Chicken Stock or a good Vegetable Stock if you prefer vegetarian
1 cup Heavy Whipping Cream
Optional garnishes: chopped chives, or chervil, minced crisp bacon or pancetta
In a heavy-bottom stock pot, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the celery root, celery, leeks and shallot and stir until the leeks and shallots are translucent, about 2 minutes. Sprinkle with salt and red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper. Add the white wine, bring to a boil, and cook, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pot until most of the liquid has evaporated, about 5-7 minutes. Add the chicken broth and reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and simmer until the celery root is tender to a fork, 15-20 minutes. Puree until smooth with an immersion blender or in batches in a standard blender. Return to a clean pot, stir in the cream and simmer gently until the soup reaches a creamy consistency, about 5 minutes. For an exceptionally smooth as silk soup, strain through a Chinoise, return again to a clean pot and gently reheat again to just a simmer. Garnish, if desired, and serve hot.