Celery Root and Potato Mash

Serves

Celery root (also known as celeriac) is a roundish, knobby, brown-skinned root vegetable that tastes like a cross between parsley and celery. Despite its name, it's not the root of common stalk celery; it's cultivated from a special variety of celery.

Celery root is delicious both raw and cooked, imparting a subtle flavor to salads, soups and stews. Here we've teamed it with potatoes for side dish that's much more interesting than ordinary mashed spuds. For a richer, creamier version, substitute heavy (whipping) cream for the chicken stock.

Ingredients

1 pound fresh celery root (celeriac) (peeled and diced, 1/4-inch)
1 pound Earthbound Farm Organic Yellow Potatoes (peeled and diced,1/4-inch)
2 teaspoons coarse (kosher) salt
6 cups water
1/2 cup chicken stock or heavy (whipping) cream
2 tablespoons butter
  freshly ground pepper (to taste)

Directions

Place the diced celery root and potatoes in a medium-size saucepan with the salt and water. Cover and cook over high heat until tender, 15 to 20 minutes.

Drain the vegetables and mash them with a potato masher or immersion blender. Return the purée to a saucepan and gently reheat over low heat.

Add enough chicken stock to moisten, and stir in the butter until melted. Season to taste with salt and pepper.