Celeriac and Bean Slaw

I've only just got round to doing my first blog post of 2013...that's rather slack of me and I have got a lot of catching up to do since I have at least half a dozen posts in gestation just waiting for me to put them out.

Anyway, I'm digressing...let's start talking about the salad I made tonight.

I received another alien vegetable in my "Able & Cole" box this week, at least that's what the kids call it, to the rest of us it's a celeriac. The last time I took hold of one of these I made a hearty Slow Cooked Celeriac, Celery & Sweet Potato Soup. Not having ever had celeriac raw and being a bit short of salad ingredients to go with the Feta & Beetroot Tart Tatin I made for dinner, I decided that today is the day to try it out. 

I wasn't feeling too optimistic about eating it raw...it doesn't look very appetising but it actually added crunch, flavour and substance to the salad. What does raw celeriac taste like? It has a hint of raw fennel about it. Probably not preferable all on its own, but mixed in with other ingredients it's great and it really absorbs and holds the salad dressing well. 

I didn't use all of it so I may very well be making some kind of soup with it over the next couple of days.

Celeriac & Bean Slaw
Serves 4

1/4 of a celeriac, peeled and grated
1 x large carrot, peeled and grated
1 x 400g tin of mixed beans (I used a three bean mix containing cannelli, flageolet & adzuki beans) drained
6 pickled onions, chopped into 1cm chunks

For the dressing:
Juice of 1 lemon

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon wholegrain mustard
bunch of parsley, chopped
salt & freshly ground pepper

Method:
Put the grated celeriac, carrots and chopped pickled onions into a large bowl.
Add the drained beans.
Make the dressing my thoroughly mixing the lemon juice, olive oil, wholegrain mustard & parsley. Season well.
Pour over the grated veg and beans and toss thoroughly.
Serve on a bed of green salad such as watercress.