Even the most adventurous eaters have foods that intimidate. Some sound funny, others look ugly, and in most cases we just can't imagine how to prepare them. The produce section of supermarkets is one of the best places to find some of these suspicious characters, especially since they come with just a name and a price, no cooking instructions, no serving suggestions...they just sit there silently making you wonder.
Well like most things in life, with a little bit of information you can be empowered to try things and discover wonderful new tastes. Here's a guide to a few in-season items that most shoppers give furtive glances like an eccentric neighbor.
Celeriac
Also known as celery root, these knarled, dirty, bulbous root balls look more like something for a witches brew than the dinner table, but they are delicious and very healthy. Actually a starchy tuber that is in fact the root of a wild celery plant, they are easy to cook and are similar to other root vegetables but with a slightly sweet celery flavor. Healthy with lots of vitamins and minerals, mashed celery root is a great alternative to mashed potatoes.
Jerusalem Artichoke
Though this root veggie looks like ginger, it actually has a delicate flavor that's sort of a cross between artichokes and potatoes. Wonderful with roasted meats, in salads and especially as a soup.
Pomelo
Similar to a grapefruit, but the size of your head, the pomelo has a wonderful flavor. But don't be fooled by the huge diameter, it's mostly peel and pith...the fruit inside is actually still about the size of a regular grapefruit.
Photo by:Skånska Matupplevelser and Anne-Lise Heinrichs
