What to do With Celeriac?

I really wasn't sure of the point of this vegetable.  It tastes just like celery.  It is celery, but just the root, and without the fibers.  That is what sold me on it.  I was never really bothered by the fibers, but I realized how much I like NOT having them in my celery.  I used it in a soup recipe the other night.  I loved it.  The rest of my family did not.  That just makes more for me.  Here is the recipe, from allrecipes.com:

Ingredients

1 head garlic
1 teaspoon olive oil
salt to taste
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter, melted
3 large sweet onions, chopped
1 celeriac (celery root), chopped
2 cups beef broth
1 cup dry red wine
2 cups vegetable broth
1 head garlic cloves, chopped
2 teaspoons paprika
2 tablespoons dried parsley
Cajun seasoning to taste
salt and pepper to taste
1 loaf French bread, toasted and sliced
1 cup shredded Swiss cheese

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Slice the top off the whole head of garlic, sprinkle with 1 teaspoon olive oil, and season with salt. Wrap loosely in foil, and bake 45 minutes, or until the cloves are very soft. Squeeze the cloves into a small bowl, and mix with the 1/2 cup softened butter.

Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in the pot, and blend with the oil. Stir in the onions and celery root, and saute until the onions are lightly browned. Reduce heat to medium low, and mix in the beef broth, wine, and vegetable broth. Mix in the chopped garlic, and season with paprika, parsley, Cajun seasoning, salt, and pepper. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for 1 hour.

Preheat the oven broiler.
Spread the toasted bread slices with the garlic butter. Ladle the soup into oven safe bowls, and place the bowls on a baking sheet. Reserving remaining bread, place one slice of toasted bread on top of the soup in each bowl, and sprinkle with Swiss cheese.

Broil soup 5 minutes in the preheated oven, until the Swiss cheese is melted. Cool for about 2 minutes before serving warm with remaining garlic bread.

Nutritional Information

Amount Per Serving Calories: 552
Total Fat: 29.2g
Cholesterol: 67mg

Waiting for the Snowstorm with Butternut Squash Soup

We are expecting around eight inches of snow tonight and tomorrow.  The kids are hoping school is cancelled, and my Tuesday class in Madison has already been cancelled. 

Today, while the kids were at school, I envisioned us eating dinner together while the snow was falling.  I also had a craving for some hearty soup. 

I found a recipe at allrecipes.com, but I didn't have all the ingredients.  So I modified it and I loved it.  The kids were a little freaked out about the color and consistency, but Nick ate a whole bowl without complaint. 

Butternut Squash Soup

Ingredients
6 tablespoons chopped onion
4 tablespoons olive oil
6 cups peeled and cubed squash
3 cups water
4 cubes chicken bouillon
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese

Directions
In a large saucepan, saute onions in margarine until tender. Add squash, water, bouillon, black pepper and cayenne pepper. Bring to boil; cook 20 minutes, or until squash is tender.

Puree squash and cream cheese in a blender or food processor in batches until smooth. Return to saucepan, and heat through. Do not allow to boil.

Put in bowls and topped with finely chopped parsley.

The Excitement is Building!

After discussing the merits of different farm venues, we are happy to be signing a lease this week.  We will have three different locations, and until the leases are signed, we'll keep the locations quiet for now. 

Who knows, we may let down our guard and post pictures.  We are totally geeked out about this!

We have so many, many people to thank for coming forward.  We sent out a mass email asking if anybody knew somebody who knew someone....and more than a handful of people had some leads for us to follow.  We are so thankful to everyone.   Wow.  Life is good when you're surrounded by good people.