Both celery root and mussels are at their best right now, so here’s a bright-green menu that welcomes them — a cool weather meal with verve and brightness, best eaten near the warmth of a fire or reasonable facsimile thereof.
This dish employs two kinds of celery: the tender hearts of branch celery and so-called knob celery, also known as celery root or celeriac.
At the vegetable stand, knob celery is usually sold scrubbed, but still may look scary with its undeniably gnarled root. Fear not: That root is easily peeled with a sharp knife. Once the rough exterior is removed, a pale perfumed vegetable appears, ready to be shredded for a salad or cooked.
For a nice salad in winter, I cut the knob celery into matchsticks and give the strips a soak in salty lemon juice. Then, they are dressed with a thick mustardy vinaigrette, similar to what is called rémoulade sauce in France. Sharp mustard in the dressing complements the sweet celery-flavored root.
I like the crunchy addition of chopped celery hearts, the pale ribs at the center of green stalk celery. Paired alongside the root and sprinkled with thinly sliced scallions, the two vegetable cousins look good together, and what results appears and functions rather like a potato salad. Add chopped capers, cornichons, chives or tarragon to customize it; the mixture will keep for a few days at the ready in the fridge. Spicy watercress, arugula or radicchio leaves are perfect to perch the dressed salad upon when serving.
To follow, a quick potful of mussels couldn’t be easier. It’s my kind of fast food — casual, good for a crowd or just a small group of mussel lovers. It could be a pot of small clams, of course, but mussels are generally less expensive and every bit as satisfying.
Wonderful farmed mussels from Prince Edward Island and other East Coast shores can be found at the supermarket or fishmonger, clean and de-bearded in little two-pound net bags, ready to rinse and steam.
Cooking mussels is a breeze: Heat butter or oil, add aromatics and little liquid, turn up the heat and throw the mussels into a large pot. Slap on the lid. They’ll steam and be ready in less than 10 minutes, left agape and swimming in the broth they have produced.
I often cook them simply with garlic, shallots and white wine, which makes a delicious broth that’s mild and pleasing. Craving a version with more oomph, however, I mixed warm spices, fresh ginger, hot green chile and a lot of chopped cilantro into softened butter. Just a few tablespoons of the spiced butter stirred into the broth, along with a squeeze of lime, created the zippy experience I wanted.
Then, eat them one by one with glee. Toss the empty shells into the communal bowl provided. With luck, there will also be a warm crusty baguette, for sopping up the zesty broth.
Serving cookies for dessert is often a very good option for having just a little something sweet at the end of the meal. These cookies are made from finely chopped pistachios and almond meal. They are macaroon-like, with a slightly soft center and a crisp exterior.
Cardamom, with its sweet, peppery, sharp and citrusy flavor, always adds interest to baked goods. As the featured spice, it can’t be faint. When ground freshly from the seeds of green cardamom pods, it is pungent; if you’re using a jar that’s been open awhile, add a bit more.
Long cherished in Middle East and India, pistachios are having a moment in the United States — many bakeries are now regularly featuring them in croissants and other pastries. These flour-free cardamom-pistachio cookies are exceedingly easy to love.
Diner beware: It’s impossible to eat fewer than two.
