Roasted celery root salad

Last week Mark Bittman published a bunch of root vegetable recipes in the Sunday Times Magazine. (I would link to them but the Times has blocked access, even though we are subscribers.) We tried the roasted celery root which couldn't be easier or tastier. You clean a whole root, rub it or spray it with olive oil, sprinkle with coarse salt, and roast in a 350 degree oven for two hours. I cut of the squiggly parts that have a lot of what looks like the vegetal equivalent of belly button lint jammed between them. Slice into wedges with the skin to serve.

This is the salad that I made with the half that was left over. It is a nice lower carb alternative to potato salad, if you are looking for one. most celery root salads that I have had are remoulade-style, and combine raw shredded celery root with a mustard vinaigrette.  I think this is much better:

Roasted celery root salad

Ingredients 

• Leftover roasted celery root with skin  (we used a little more than half of a two pound root)
• 1/2 cup chopped diced pickles (see below)
• 1/4 cup capers, rinsed
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh dill
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon mayonnaise or more to taste
• 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
• salt (if needed) and pepper

Method

1. Cut the celery root into 1/2 to 3/4 inch dice.
2. Combine with pickles, capers and dill.
3. Combine the mustard, mayonnaise and vinegar and mix into the salad.
4. Add salt if needed (it may not be, since the pickles and capers are salty) andpepper.
5. Serves 4 as a side dish.

What kind of pickles to use? We used the slightly spicy Israeli pickles that you get in a can.  You could also use French-style cornichons, half sours, or sour dill pickles.  Each will alter the character of the dish, and each will be good.