Hello hello! Sorry for the rather sporadic posting as of late. I’ve been trying to get on top of life before a trip away so blogging time has sadly had to be limited. I’m actually writing from Geneva (!) where I’m attending a week-long conference as a translator. Nothing kicks off until tomorrow though so I thought I’d check back in here this evening.
I recently made this utterly delicious Provençale Celeriac Pâté from Elenore of Earthsprout. It was so tasty spread on Pura Vida raw bread with Dijon, capers and rocket salad that I was very tempted to make it again.
But I seem incapable of making recipes twice at the moment so instead I decided to take those flavours and reproduce them in a different form. This Celeriac, Pear & Rocket Salad is what came up with.
Do you remember my Simple Celeriac Soup? I’d been wanting to try celeriac raw since then, not expecting to be that impressed, but more for curiosity’s sake. But I was pleasantly surprised! It’s really lovely, though quite different to cooked celeriac and milder than celery ( for the many I’m sure who aren’t celery lovers). It doesn’t taste starchy in the slightest either so perfectly fine to eat raw.
As I’m a little smitten with pears right now I added one for some sweetness and it balanced up the strong Dijon and capers nicely.
- 1 Medium celeriac (peeled weight approx 400g/1lb)
- 2 Tbsp Lemon juice
- 1 Large firm pear
- A few handfuls of rocket
- 2-3 Tbsp Capers
- 2 Tbsp Olive oil
- 1 Tbsp Apple cider vinegar
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp Coconut nectar (OR other liquid sweetener)
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Peel the celeriac (using a sharp knife is the easiest way), thinly slice vertically then stack the slices and cut them into matchsticks. In a large bowl, toss the celeriac matchsticks with the lemon juice. This prevents them from browning.
- Thinly slice the pear and add to the bowl.
- Whisk together the ingredients for the vinaigrette and add to the celeriac and pear. Toss in a few large handfuls of rocket and stir well to coat everything.
- Remove to a serving dish and top with the capers.
- I recommend using a slightly unripe pear so it doesn't get mushy in the salad.
Hopefully I’ve peaked your curiosity enough to get you to try celeriac raw, and not just covered in gloopy mayonnaise like the traditional French “céleri rémoulade“..
Awesome salad Emma, yum!
Thanks Vicky. I really enjoyed it
how lovely! i still need to get my hands on celeriac and taste it for myself. i love that you added pears. also, how fun that you are in geneva as a translator?!
Thanks Caitlin. It’s pretty exciting being here! After the conference I’m home for a week then I’m actually coming back here for a month! I’ve just found out I’ve got the UN intern position I applied for
Congrats on getting the UN intern position, how exciting!
Your salad looks lovely as well. I have never had celeriac, I am intrigued. Also, rocket = arugula, right?
Thanks Anna! A little nervous but it’s nice to have this week to get familiar with the city first.
And yes rocket= arugula. I’d forgotten you folks have a different name for it.
such a pretty and crunchy salad!
This looks so refreshing and fresh! I’ve never really figured out what to do with that gnarly beast that is celeriac; this looks like a great way to use it. Have a good/successful trip :-)!
Hi Emma, your salad looks so light and refreshing, perfect for spring! I don’t know about you, but I’ve been eating too many comfort foods and need to lighten up! I’ve never had celeriac but if I see it in my grocery store I’ll have to give it a try!
Much as I love celeriac, I honestly have never thought to eat it raw! I don’t think I even knew it could be eaten raw. What a great twist on its more traditional uses, and pairing it with pear sounds lovely too.
Also, enjoy your time in Geneva!
I love celeriac cooked but can’t quite imagine enjoying it raw - I love the sound of the salad but I think i would like someone to make it for me - it is one of the problems of being the sole cook in my house - I used to try a lot more when I lived in student households where others’ ideas were ‘foisted” upon me
AT least blogging inspires me to try food in new ways
Yes it can be difficult to push ourselves out of our box sometimes. Blogging definitely helps me keep the variety up! Think of me if you do eventually try celeriac raw!
Have fun on your trip!
I really wish I could learn to like celeriac, but it just tastes too much like celery to me! It’s a gorgeous salad, though
Do you think? Maybe as I got over my former hate for celery I don’t notice the celery taste?!
oh yum Emma! This looks awesome! I still need to try that pate! In fact I tried to buy celeriac the other day to do just that and they were out. Thwarted!
Well at least you’re gathering ideas for when you next get some! Hope you like the paté as much as we did.
I make a giant salad for lunch everyday so I’m delighted to get new inspiration. I adore celeriac but I’ve never eaten it raw before- Great idea! Pairing it with pear (no pun intended, I swear) sounds like a perfect balance of sweet and savory, mellow and tangy.
It’s lovely raw. Hope you give it a try!
This salad looks superb ! I haven’t ventured out and tried Celeriac yet but I might just have to now 😉 And I looveeee Geneva (the Alps get me every time!) Enjoy your time there doing translation (how exciting!). Pinned!
Thanks Ceara. You have to try Celeriac! And it is pretty exciting being here in Geneva though the city itself seems pretty quiet.
I really love raw celeriac in all its forms, particularly in remoulade. I’m pretty sure I’d go nuts for this salad, as pear and capers are both huge favourites of mine. And thanks for the tip off about the pate - another recipe I need to give a try!
So glad you’re a fellow celeriac fan. A lot of people seem to be unfamiliar with it, especially raw. Do try the paté too. I forgot to mention we had roast beetroot with it too. Definitely recommended!
I am a huge fan of celeriac, especially with apple or pears.
Great to hear Dannii! It seems there are a lot of people who haven’t tried it yet.
Delicious salad! I love the sweetness of pears in a salad. I’m so glad you shared it at Raw Foods Thursdays!
xo
I adore pears. And I found some really good ones recently too. Thanks again for hosting RFTs!