A rutabaga tastes a bit like a turnip but stronger, with a denser texture and a good deal of sweetness. Celeriac may not be the beauty queen of the produce aisle, but this knobby root tastes deliciously like sweet celery with a texture somewhat like a potato. Peel off the thick, tough skin with a knife and drop the white-fleshed slices in water with lemon juice to prevent discoloration. For a fine winter salad, grate raw celeriac and toss it with homemade mayonnaise and Dijon mustard. Add slices to split-pea, bean, or lentil soup for a wonderful soft, sweet celery flavor.
Parsnips can reach almost a foot long.
At the market, they should be firm and crisp, never rubbery. Peel their thin skins as you would a carrot's, but only eat parsnips cooked, which turns the flesh moist, sweet, and nutty. Roast, fry, steam, or braise parsnips. Shepherd is a gardening cook and specialty seed retailer. Her company, Renee's Garden, offers gourmet seed packets at independent nurseries.