Vegetable Sides Day Three

Tonight as sides we had a creamy potato-celeriac gratin and some spicy mustard greens to balance the richness.

Celeriac is a brown lumpy hairy root from a kind of celery that looks like the regular kind, but the stalks are more fibrous and better suited to the stock pot than the lunch box. I bought it at Finley Farms with the stalks attached. You will most likely find it without the stems at the grocery store. It tastes similar to celery, but earthier.

Don't bother trying to scrub it. Just pare off all the hairy and brown parts, down to the white part within. I sliced it thinly and put a layer of it in the center of a potato gratin. It was delicious. If you have a potato gratin recipe you like, I recommend you do the same thing. The celeriac has a similar texture to the potato, and adds a savory flavor. I would share my recipe with you, but I added too much liquid so it was too saucy. We had to spoon the potatoes and celeriac out of the sauce. They tasted good, so I'll mash the leftovers into a creamy dish later in the week.

Celeriac is a good source of the soluble fiber that helps lower cholesterol. Mustard greens are high in antioxidants and are powerful anti-inflammatories.

I wanted the mustard greens to hold their zip so I cooked them quickly with garlic and chiles. I cut out the stems, washed the leaves, and cut them in 1" ribbons. I put a scant tablespoon of olive oil in a warm pan, and when it rippled I added a cup of chopped onion. When it had softened, I stirred in a chopped clove of garlic and a sprinkling of crushed chiles. After a minute or so I added the mustard greens and a splash of water, stirred well, and covered the pot. I stirred after 5 minutes, and kept cooking, covered, until slightly browned, less than 10 minutes total.

With two interesting side dishes like this, the main dish becomes the side note.