Trust the French to turn this heavy, homely and underrated vegetable into something chic. They peel and shred celeriac, also known as celery root, and combine it with a mustardy, herb-flecked mayonnaise dressing. Et voilà, celeriac remoulade. A classier coleslaw of sorts, it’s often served with adjacent mounds of shredded beet and carrot salads. A bright, pretty trio. Celeriac is also excellent cooked. Dice it into cubes and add them to soup. Or make it the star of the show with a creamy celeriac soup: sauté onions and apples in butter, add chicken stock and cubed celeriac. Simmer until tender, puree, spruce up with cream and fresh dill. Or boil and mash celeriac, either on its own or with potatoes. Pair the mash with pot roast or – better – short ribs.

Celeriac will oxidize, so as you prep it, toss it with lemon juice. And realize that peeling requires maneuvering around its many knobs and hairy roots – admittedly, a chore. But if you don’t yet know it, the taste of celeriac – denser, nuttier and woodsier than celery (and without the annoying strings) will be a nice discovery.

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