RECIPES: Celeriac Potato Gratin, Celery Root Remoulade with Bay Shrimp, Celeriac Salad, Celery Root Apple Salad

If I had a dollar for every time I heard someone pick up a celery root and say something like, “What is this, it’s so ugly!” I think I’d be quite well off. It’s funny, because in France the word céléri refers to the celery root (a.k.a. céléri-rave), whereas it is always céléri branche for the stalks Americans know and crunch for everything from dips to diets.

Celery root is also known as celeriac, and is one of three forms of celery; root, branch (or stalk), and leaf, but they are all variants of the same plant. It has only been in the last few years that celeriac has become popular on menus. It’s a shame because I think the flavor is quite nice. Interestingly enough, I see descriptions of celeriac that say it is milder than celery, and some say stronger. Here is my take on the flavor of celeriac: I think it tastes more intense, as if the flavor of celery were compacted, but it also is as if you were tasting it from far away, like hearing a song clearly, but from the next room. Where celery can have a strong sharpness to it, celeriac has an intense celery flavor, but without the bite that celery often has, especially the darker stalks. “Earthiness” is another adjective I hear used about celeriac, but not celery.

RECIPES: Pumpkin Fritters, How to Make Pumpkin Purée, Pumpkin and Wild Rice Bread Pudding, Apricot Pumpkin Bread, Thai Stir-Fried Pumpkin with Tofu and Basil, Turkey Pumpkin Chili with Chipotle, Toasted Pumpkin Seeds, Savory Pumpkin Garlic Flan, Pumpkin Ravioli with Walnut Cream Sauce, Creamy Pumpkin Flan with Caramel, Indian Vegetable Stew, Thai Curried Pumpkin and Walnut Soup, Pumpkin Quinoia Muffins, Pumpkin Soup, Pumpkin Tortelloni with Browned Butter and Sage Sauce

To most people in the US, pumpkins are the familiar, striated orange-skinned winter squash with orange flesh, which are carved for Halloween or turned into pie. However, “pumpkin” is a word used to describe many varieties of squash around the world that come in many shapes, colors, and sizes. Although the pumpkins we associate with autumn are usually orange or deep yellow, some fruits are dark green, pale green, orange-yellow, white, red and gray and come in many different shapes. Pumpkins are native to North America, with evidence of pumpkin-related seeds dating back to 7000 BC in Mexico.

When it comes to flavor, don’t look to pumpkin on its own for anything dramatic – think instead of deep mellow flavors with nuance. Depending on how they are cooked, pumpkin will be tinged with sweetness or a touch of bitterness. When building a dish, look for flavors to complement or act as counterpoint. For example, if I make a puree of Kabocha pumpkin, which has a nutty taste, I like to add chestnuts as a complement. For pumpkin soup, I might use sherry or balsamic vinegar as a counterpoint – both have acid and an astringent brightness that acts as a foil to the rich feel and blander flavor of the squash. Nuts and roasted pumpkin seeds make a great garnish to most pumpkin dishes. If you can find pumpkin seed oil, it has an amazing flavor, especially drizzled on pumpkin soup or puree.

RECIPES: Eggplant Curry, Easy Grilled Eggplant, Papa O's Eggplant Parmesan, Babaganoush, Mediterranean Tart, Tuscan Eggplant Pesto, Eggplant and Tomato Gratin, Sautéed Eggplant, Mozzarella, Tomato and Basil Packets, Indian Vegetable Stew, Ratatouille, Yogurt and Eggplant Dip

Let’s face it – if Dr. Seuss were responsible for a vegetable, it would have to be the eggplant. And like other things Seuss-ian, they are not just one color or shape.

The English name “eggplant,” is probably derived from the egg shaped variety that happens to be white. Eggplant comes in many colors, ranging from deep purple (hence the name “aubergine”) to lavender to green to white, with some having stripes of rose or green. Shapes range from large pear shaped forms to small globes. There are elongated forms that are straight and wider at the base and some that taper to a point. Some are only an inch or two thick, others are up to four inches. Originally from China and India, eggplant can have a bitterness that is a flavor enjoyed elsewhere than the US and Europe. It is this bitterness that puts many people off here, and prompts people to check the bottoms of eggplant looking for the dimple.

RECIPES:  Braised Romano Beans, Spicy Sichuan Long Beans. Southwest Succotash, Niçoise a la Papa O's, Filet Mignon Spring Rolls with a side of Szechwan Haricot Vert and Shiitake Mushrooms

It's prime time for beans at the farmers market right now and there are many varieties available.

When I say “beans,” I am talking about the New World vegetable also known as snap beans or green beans. At one time they were called string beans, but there are almost none grown today where the string is present. When beans mature and seeds form, you have what are referred to as shelling beans, or just “shelleys.”

Sizes range from 2-3 inches long and almost matchstick thin to 7-8 inch long by 1 inch wide flat beans. There are also yardlong or Chinese Long Beans used in Asian cuisine that are closer to 18-24 inches long in reality. Beans are a colorful lot as well, coming in various shades of greens, yellow, and even purple. One thing about the colored beans; the yellow ones will maintain most of their color when cooked, only fading a bit, but the purples ones will turn green once cooked. If you want to preserve that color it means using the beans raw, so think of them as garnish rather than the main event.

Although the shapes vary, the flavors do not so much. However, certain beans taste better with differing cooking methods to bring out their best flavor. Some like to cook beans until they just lose their raw quality, but if you cook them a little longer they tend to develop a deeper flavor.