Celeriac 'Rowena'

A close up look at celeriac roots. Photo courtesy of Country Hills Golf Club.

If you’re in the market to try a new vegetable in your fall garden, try Celeriac ‘Rowena!’ Celeriac, also known as celery root, is a root vegetable native to southern and northern Europe. It’s a type of celery with strong, dark green foliage and smooth, rounded, edible roots. It boasts a delicate, sweet flavor and texture. It received the Royal Horticultural Society’s ‘Award of Garden Merit’ based on yield, appearance, taste, bulb color, smoothness of skin, uniformity, size and shape of bulb and texture.

‘Rowena’ is easy to care for, but needs a long, mild growing season. Coastal gardens provide optimal conditions. Plant in full sun, spacing them 6-8 inches apart and water regularly. Most people will plant later in the summer and harvest the root in the winter time. ‘Rowena’ is a long season crop with 120 days to maturity. Harvest them when roots are 3” across or larger. It is great for winter storage! If you plan to store your root, make sure you don’t break the skin. Instead, wrap it in newspaper and store it in your fridge until you’re ready to eat it.

Now onto preparation and recipe ideas!

Celeriac has many different uses! You can eat it raw or cooked. Roots can be steamed, baked, boiled, pureed, or stir-fried. You can even use the leaves and foliage as a garnish. Most people make casseroles, toss them in a salad, or pickle them. It has an earthy, slightly sweet and nutty flavor and pairs well with truffles and game dishes. Check out the recipe below for inspiration!

This is a versatile vegetable that’s easy to grow with few pest problems. The Sunset Western Garden zones are all zones. We are currently growing Celeriac ‘Rowena’ in 4.5” rounds.

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Creamy Celery Root Mash Recipe

Taken from AllRecipes.com

Ingredients:

2 pounds of celeriac, peeled and cut into ½ inch cubes

¼ cup sour cream, or more to taste

½ teaspoon dried dill weed

Salt and pepper to taste

Step 1

Place celeriac into a large pot and cover with salted water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until tender, about 20 minutes. Drain and transfer to a large bowl.

Step 2

Mash together celeriac, sour cream, and dill in a large bowl with a potato masher until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.