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Celery root, also called celeriac, differs from other root vegetable
s in that it is not very starchy. It is a variety of celery grown for the purpose of using both its shoots and its roots, and its flavor does have hints of the familiar green celery stalks.
Celeriac is a little intimidating when you first look at it, as it's quite knobby and rough in appearance. Learning how to peel celeriac takes a little practice and a good paring knife, but once you've got the hang of it, you can make celery root a staple. Use it to make dishes that satisfy a starch craving, but are low in carbs and high in fiber.
Celeriac can be used instead of potato in many recipes, such as soups, stews, latkes (potato pancakes), gratins, purees, "rice" (chopped in a food processor), or chips (as a substitute for potato chips). The mild taste lends itself to many combinations of herbs and spices. You can also experiment with eating it raw by tossing or grating it into salads.
Since celery root has a very different texture from celery, they don't generally work as substitutes for each other. Instead, celery root can sub for potato, parsnip, or carrot.
In this recipe it works wonderfully with Potatoes to give a fresh twist to classic scalloped potatoes. Always a hit on my dinner table.