Celeriac Cooked Turkish-Style Makes A Fragrant Vegetable Side Dish Recipe

Celeriac, or in turkish, 'kereviz' (ker-eh-veez'), is a variety of celery grown for it's fragrant, pulpy root rather than its stalks. It's often mistakenly called 'celery root' because it smells and tastes so much like stalk celery. Celeriac is native to the mediterranean region and parts of europe and is used in many cuisines throughout this region. You may have seen recipes for celeriac soups and celeriac mashes, but in turkish cuisine, celeriac is lightly cooked in olive oil and served as a vegetable side dish. This recipe for sliced celeriac and carrots is a typical vegetable side dish in turkey which is served cold. A squeeze of lemon and some fresh-squeezed orange juice gives this dish a lovely, light flavor that complements the fragrant celeriac, and also helps keep the vegetables from darkening. Like many turkish vegetable dishes, this recipe is perfect to serve as a salad alternative or side dish to accompany your meal, or on its own with some hearty bread to help you soak up the juices. I like to have a plate of celeriac with a bowl of turkish red lentil soup and some warm bread for dipping.