Saturday, March 2, 2013

An unusual vegetable

This very strange looking creature is actually celeriac, a kind of root vegetable I discovered while visiting my sister in Florida. She has access to a wonderful vegetable stand that she visits almost daily. When she would concoct her amazing salads for dinner, one of her favorite things to add is this root. Although it looks really awful, it's amazingly tasty. You can eat it raw or cooked. We had it grated and added to the salad. The flavor is faintly celery-like, but the smell! It's like nothing else I've smelled before. This one I found at my own Farmers' Market and I took the outside cover off and sliced it up for salad.

It keeps really well, and I just used up the last of it this past week, although I bought it almost two weeks ago and stuck it in the fridge. Some people call it "celery root," but if you read that link, you'll find it really isn't that at all. I also found this really interesting page, an old NPR story about "The Vegetable World's Ugly Duckling." Apparently it's not well known in this country, but I will pick one up any time I see it at the market, since I now know that it's good for me, it tastes good, and it can be eaten raw or cooked.

It has been an interesting week. Wednesday was Smart Guy's birthday, so we went to our favorite restaurant, Anthony's, for their four-course Early Bird meal. It was wonderful to feel that I've gotten enough exercise and kept the weight off that I can eat a large meal like that and not feel guilty!
And on Friday I attended a new exercise class that made up for anything I might have indulged in earlier in the week. It's called "Swimming Boot Camp." We don't actually have to wear boots in the water, but I crawled out of the pool afterwards and realized that nobody ELSE was seventy years old in the class. I started out breathing normally while swimming, but after awhile I was coming up for air with almost every stroke.

I loved it and will be back again next Friday. I know, I know; I'm not normal.
:-)

31 comments:

  1. That swimming boot camp sounds like a tempting challenge.

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  2. happy birthday smart guy....very cool on the vegetable...def some interesting things found at the farmers market down in florida...looks a bit like jabba the hutt...smiles...and swimming boot camp sounds intense...

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  3. no, you are not normal. :)

    happy birthday, smart guy!!!

    very interesting veggie.

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  4. Well, I can keep up with you in the restaurant, but not in the pool. Mebbe that's why you two look like you're in great shape, and I'm, well ... working on it.

    P.S. I used to live 1/2 form the train tracks, and loved the sound of the train going by, esp. in the summer when we were out on the patio and it rumbled through the hot humid air.

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  5. This summer I'm going to look for that. I love kohlrabi raw and it might be similar? You've got a handsome guy there, Jan... What a lovely couple you make....

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  6. I love celeriac, though haven't had it in a while. Thank you for the reminder. Happy birthday to smart guy - who looks very happy in that shot - which is as it should be.
    Swimming boot camp sounds very interesting. And I need to do something like it.
    Not normal perhaps - but inspirational. Which is much more better.

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  7. Celeriac is indeed an interesting vegetable. Wonder how it would be roasted? I'd never heard of it. Smart Guy is a very nice looking man. I hope he's as happy every day as he appears to be in that picture. Jan, when your time comes to die no one will know it for days because your body will just keep right on exercising like you've programmed it to do.

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  8. Recently 'discovered' celeriac. Great as addition to soups with other root vegetables...You are an inspiration for all of us - swimming boot camp. Great work!

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  9. Yeah, I wish that I was as abnormal as you.. instead of in my own way. ;)

    I'm going to have to look for celeriac now.

    Happy Birthday to your Smart and Handsome Guy.

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  10. Boy oh boy...that Smart Guy is a handsome devil !!!! Happy Birthday, Bub !!!!

    I have't had celeriac in a long time either. I think I'll get some!

    You never cease to amaze me, woman....xoxoxoxo

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  11. Great photo of your hubby...and may I wish him a happy birthday!
    I love the cobalt blue glasses at the table. I hope that the day was a wonderful one for you both.
    Hugs and love,
    Jackie

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  12. Interesting vegetable. I wonder where it comes from?
    Happy birthday to Smart Guy! It's great to have a celebration.

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  13. Happy Birthday to your Smart Guy! Sounds like a very happy birthday!

    Celery root? Now that is very interesting. I don't think I've ever seen it at the supermarket, but I'll really keep my eyes open for it now. You've really peaked my interest.

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  14. I discovered celeriac at our farmers' market a couple of years ago but I don't see it often. In salads is my favorite way to use it.

    Happy Birthday Smart Guy!

    The swimming boot camp sounds like a real challenge.

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  15. Happy Birthday Smart Guy - You and DJan have the same sincere smile.
    Hope your Birthday was great and it looks off to a good start with a great meal.
    My Mother used to buy Celeriac whenever she was in the market and add it to salads, soups n stews and sometimes chop it up in sandwiches.
    Sometimes the worst looking things are great tasting. I was watching a program and a guy was searching for "Truffels", digging in certain areas and and actually had a dog that sniffed them out. I never heard of those before, so am researching them when finished here. Have a wonderful day.

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  16. You're nowhere even near the realm of normal DJan! That's part of what makes you so wonderful!!! ;o)

    I need a swimming boot camp like that...


    FELIZ CUMPLEAÑOS to Smart Guy!!! :o)

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  17. What a beautiful photo of your husband, DJan. HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SMART GUY! ALOHA FROM HAWAII.

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  18. I may have 'seen' that vegetable before... maybe in Central Market... but have never tried it. I will look for it next week.

    And Happy Birthday to Smart Guy! He does look happy at his birthday dinner.

    As for your swimming boot camp... wow! Great exercise. I'm not a swimmer, but wish I was.

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  19. Happy birthday, smart guy! What a weird looking veggie...I live in Florida and have never seen one of these. Now I'll go looking for it...

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  20. Looks vaguely like fennel root bulb which we use in salads. I'll look for it here. Happy b'day to Smart Guy. And nice going to try a challenging course. I've been doing the TRX since I can do it at home and it kicks my but! Let's re-define normal!

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  21. That a new veggie for me. Something new to be learned every day!

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  22. I have eaten and enjoyed celeriac for all of my life. It is a very common winter vegetable on the north European mainland and even the UK discovered it a few years ago.

    Happy Birthday to your better half.

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  23. I love the photo of Smart Guy. He looks as happy and healthy as you do. Happy Birthday to him.

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  24. Happy Birthday to your Smart Guy!! That root looks interesting..I have not heard of it:)

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  25. Glutton for punishment when it comes to exercise, D-Jan!
    Happy Birthday SmartGuy. That's a very nice photo of him. What did you have for that meal?

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  26. Are you sure that's celeriac? It looks more like Jabba the Hutt to me.

    Happy Belated Birthday Smart Guy! :-)

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  27. We get celeriac in our CSA box occasionally. I give it to my neighbor. Not my thing.

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  28. What an interesting vegetable. I've never heard of it before. Now I'm going to be on a mission to find some and try it for myself. As for swimming boot camp, hmmm...anything with the words boot camp in the name scares me!

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  29. I just knew you were a prime candidate for Boot Camp!!! You're actually, probably, more fit physically that those that actually JOIN a military boot camp. You could show them how it's all done!! Happy Birthday, belated to Smart Guy. And this new root job-a-do sounds intriguing. You couldn't describe the odor? So, now I have to ask....is it a pleasing odor? Or something like Limburger cheese where you want to run for your life?!!!

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  30. sorry...typo alert:
    You're actually, probably, more fit physically that those that actually JOIN a military boot camp. Should read "more physically fit THAN those that...."

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  31. Dear DJan, I don't know about your being "normal"--whatever that is. But I do know that you are admirable! Peace.

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