Tuesday 9 June 2015

Celeriac and Celery soup

I was travelling from Masterton back to Wellington when I decided to stop at Greytown for a bite to eat. It really is a lovely spot and each time I visit I find another place to wander into and explore. So it was that I stumbled across this gorgeous food store and cafe. 
http://foodforestorganics.co.nz  It was like a toy shop for people like me. Oh my - I couldn't decide what to buy first. The shop was so well presented, so clean, inviting and fresh looking. And the service was impeccable. So much to chose from - they had every organic grain imaginable on the shelves, lots of lovely jars of this and that, beautiful fresh vegetables and food to take away or eat in the cafe and things for your kitchen. Go visit!
This was where I found my lovely organic celeriac bulbs. I am very fond of celeriac. I planted some last year but they did not come to much, more like the size of a little plum with a massive tangle of roots hanging from it.  In the end I only had enough to mash with potatoes, but still perfect as an accompaniment for my small fillet steak.
I had an inspiration from making a celery soup last week ( from the Moosewood Cookbook) and using this recipe thought Celeriac soup might work.  It tastes a bit like celery, so I decided to throw a bit of celery into the soup as well.
The result was delicious! But you gotta love the celery taste (which I do). To finish it off I stirred just a teaspoon of cream into the hot bowl of soup - served with hot buttered toast - it was yum on a cool June afternoon!
Celeriac and Celery Soup
Cut 1 medium celeriac into chunks. Chop about 4 stalks of celery into chunks. Place the vegetables in a large pot with about 4 cups of water, chicken or vegetable stock. Cook  until soft. Check for seasoning, add salt and white pepper to taste. Take off stove and puree soup till smooth.
Take 2 - 4 stalks of celery and chop finely - I used the whizz to mince mine - it's done in seconds.
Add to the soup and bring back to a simmer until just cooked. This adds a nice texture to the soup.
Serves about 6
You could garnish your soup with a couple of celery leaves, bits of crispy bacon or grated cheese.
Serve with toast or chunks of warm bread, liberally smeared with butter.