Lemon & Black Pepper Celeriac Risotto

It’s mid-winter here in New Zealand and the organic supermarket is full of celeriac and fennel, two vegetables that go well together in a kind of rustic French way. Celeriac is one of those underrated but highly versatile vegetables that often gets shunned for it’s rather unelegant apperance. It’s not the root of celery as it’s name suggests but kind of like a cousin, similar in flavour but a little more nutty. With the fennel, lemon and celeriac, this whole dish is very high in vitamin C. Mother Nature sure knows how to look after us by providing produce that’s high in flu-fighting properties during the winter. It’s also pretty high in magnesium, phosphorus and vitamin K. Make sure to use the zest of the lemon as well as the juice to give the risotto that wonderfully fragrant flavour. Yum.

Lemon & Black Pepper Celeriac Risotto

Serves one

Ingredients

1 medium celeriac root
juice and zest of 1 small lemon
1 tbsp finely chopped celery leaves
1/2 cup finely shaved fennel bulb
1 tsp unpasteurised miso
1/4 cup soaked sunflower seeds
1/4 cup pure water
1/2 tsp cracked black pepper
1/4  tsp sea salt

Preparation

Trim off the outer layer of the celeriac root to remove all the dirt filled crevices, dice into cubes and pulse in a high speed blender or food processor with the lemon juice until fine. It should be about the size of rice or a little smaller in order to release more of the flavoursome juices. Adding the lemon juice at this point prevents the celeriac from discolouring as it oxidises.

Set the celeriac aside and process the sunflower seeds, miso paste and water until fairly smooth but still with a little texture.

Combine the sunflower mixture with the celeriac and the remaining ingredients.

Season with extra black pepper, sea salt and a little cold pressed olive oil if desired.

Serve in a bowl garnished with chopped celery leaves and lemon zest,  scoop up with flax crackers or even wrap in romaine leaves with some fresh alfalfa sprouts and your favourite greens.

Get the facts on Nutrition Data

Florence Fennel & Strawberry Salad

Strawberries have just arrived at Commonsense Organics! To celebrate the onset of summer produce I threw these few ingredients together for lunch today and it turned out great. It just tastes like summer. And because all the ingredients are really juicy you don’t even need a dressing. I found it perfect just as is.

3-4 Large Strawberries

1/2 a Lebanese Cucumber

1 Small Fennel Bulb

A Handful of Fennel Fronds

2 Cups Chopped Lettuce

1/2 Avocado

Slice the strawberries, cucumber and fennel bulb with a mandoline. Finely chop the lettuce and the fennel fronds and dice the avocado into thin pieces. Combine everything in a bowl to serve. Easy.

Strawberries are the one of the most popular berries in the world. Not only do they taste and look great but they are also full of anti-oxidants. They are also heart-protective, anti-cancer fruit, and anti-inflammatory.

Nutrient-wise, strawberries are an excellent source of vitamin C and manganese. They’re also pretty high in fibre and a good organic source of iodine.

You can read more about the big red berries here

Red Cabbage, Fennel and Mandarin Salad

This is a fantastic winter salad with amazing colour and a good sweet/savory balance. It’s full of vitamin C to keep away colds in the chilly months. It’s good to use a mandoline to help you to slice things finely which brings out the flavour more. Always try to use organic ingredients where possible.

Serves 1-2

Ingredients

1/4 of a red cabbage

1 fennel bulb

4-5 mandarins

1 lemon

1 orange

a good splash of cold-pressed olive oil

a sprinkling of himalayan salt

Method

Using a mandoline, shred the cabbage and fennel. If you don’t have a mandoline you could use a food processor or slice finely with a knife.

Halve the orange and slice a few pieces off with the mandoline to save as a garnish. Juice the rest of the orange and the lemon.

Peel the mandarins and break into segments.

Combine all ingredients in a bowl to serve.

Optional Extra: This is also great with some chunks of avocado mushed into the salad. It combines nicely with the juices.

Enjoy!