In New York, it's been a cold, cold winter this year with no end in sight. Just a few days ago it snowed again, just 24 hours after the "first day of Spring." While I've been subsisting off brothy, meaty soups (obviously comforting in freezing temps), I'm searching for something a little brighter. This soup is just hearty enough for a cold night, but has the freshness of Springtime – or more specifically, Spring weather - is hopefully just around the corner.

If you've never cooked with celery root (or celeriac) – this is your time. It's a root vegetable with the essence of Spring. I know it appears pretty gnarly on the surface, but once you shed its knobby skin, it has such a light, fragrant celery taste that anyone would love. Enjoy this soup warm with good, crusty bread.

CELERY ROOT & PINK LADY APPLE SOUP WITH YOGURT, TOASTED HAZELNUTS & MICROGREENS (Gluten-free, grain-free, vegan opt.)

SERVES 6-8

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 leek, cut into half-moons
1 small sweet onion, roughly chopped
2-3 pink lady or honey crisp apples, peeled & diced
1 3/4 lb. celeriac, peeled and diced (about 4 cups chopped)
1 medium parsnip, peeled and diced
2 bay leaves
3-4 sprigs of thyme
6 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1 cup full-fat coconut milk, or about 1/2 can
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 cup hazelnuts
1 teaspoon sea salt, or to taste
Freshly ground white pepper
Greek yogurt, to serve
Microgreens, to serve

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Heat a large Dutch oven or saucepan over medium heat with olive oil. Add garlic, onion, leek, apple, celery root and parsnip. Sauté for 8-10 minutes, or until onions and leeks begin to soften. Stir in bay leaves, thyme, nutmeg, broth and coconut milk. Bring mixture to a boil, then simmer over low heat until celery root, apples & parsnips are completely softened. Season as you go with sea salt and freshly cracked white pepper.

In the meantime, add hazelnuts to a small baking sheet. Cook for 10-12 minutes or until your kitchen smells nutty and hazelnut skins begin to flake off. Set aside to cool. Once hazelnuts are cool enough to touch, rub them between your hands to remove skins (this step can be skipped, but the hazelnut skins will flake off easily and no one wants that in their soup!). Once most of the skins are removed, roughly chop and set aside.

Once soup is soft, use a hand blender or actual blender to puree soup until smooth. Season each bowl with flaky sea salt, white pepper and hazelnuts. Then top with a dollop of yogurt and a handful of microgreens. Serve immediately.

This post was originally shot for H&M !

How was your Thanksgiving? Mine was filled with the usual binge-baking and food-hoarding, just as I like it. Never have I purchased so much food all measured in pounds. Two pies, six dishes and 7 guest later, we had Thanksgiving.

WILD MUSHROOM GRAVY (Gluten-free)

1 1/2 cups shiitake mushrooms, diced

3 cups cremini mushrooms, diced

2 cups baby bella mushrooms, diced

1 1/2 cups porcini mushrooms, diced

1 1/2 cups oyster mushrooms, diced

3 shallots, minced

2 tablespoons marsala wine

1 tablespoons butter (reserve 1T)

3 springs thyme, de-stemmed

3 sage springs, minced

3 cups vegetable broth

3 tablespoons sorghum flour

1/3 cup tapioca starch

1 teaspoon maldon sea salt

1. Combine butter, mushrooms and shallots in a large skillet. Cook on medium heat for 7-10 minutes before adding the marsala wine and herbs. Continue cooking this mixture until reduced. Set aside.

2. In a large saucepan, add tablespoon of buter and flour. Whisk together for 2-3 minutes before adding broth and salt. Once broth heats up, add mushroom mixture.

3. Add tapioca starch in small amounts and stir well. Cook over low-medium heat and reduce for 15-20 minutes. Once mixture thickens, either serve warm or puree using a hand blender until desired texture.

ROSEMARY AND CHESTNUT STUFFING WITH LEEK, FENNEL AND MUSHROOM (Gluten-free)

1 carton baby bella mushrooms, diced

1 leek, sliced thin

1/4 cup fennel, diced

6 slices millet bread, cubed

6 slices other gluten-free bread (see note*)

2 large carrots, diced

6 celery stalks, diced

5 shallots, minced

1 cup chestnuts, halved

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 cup vegetable broth

4 tablespoons butter

3 tablespoons olive oil

4 sage leaves, minced

4 sprigs rosemary, minced

4 sprigs thyme, de-stemmed and minced

Maldon sea salt to taste

1. Add cubed bread to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Drizzle bread with olive oil and bake at 400 degrees until golden and toasted.

2. While bread toasts, combine butter, garlic, shallots and leek until softened. Then, add carrots, celery, fennel and mushrooms to the mixture. Cook over medium heat until tender.

3. In a large bowl. combine toasted bread and vegetable mixture with chestnuts, broth and seasoning. Mix well and add to deep baking dish. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until golden and tender.

*I used Gluten-free Girl’s homemade brad with rosemary for the 2nd bread in this stuffing. I would also recommend something from Udi’s Ancient Grains line.

ROASTED BRUSSEL SPROUTS WITH WHOLE-GRAIN MUSTARD, GARLIC AND TOASTED HAZELNUTS

(Gluten-free / Vegan)

7-8 cups brussel sprouts, sliced thin

4 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 cup Maille Old-style Mustard (or other whole-grain mustard)

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

2 lemons, juice and zest

3/4 cup hazelnuts, chopped

1 teaspoon maldon sea salt

1. To make the dressing: combine garlic, lemon, oil, salt, mustard and vinegar in a mason jar and shake well. In a large bowl, combine dressing with sliced brussels. Mix well and spread evenly on a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake at 400 degrees for 45-55 minutes or until crispy and browned.

ROASTED ROOT VEGETABLES WITH BROWN BUTTER, SAGE, ROSEMARY AND THYME

(Gluten-free)

1 celeriac, skinned and cubed

1 large bunch of carrots, diced

3-4 parsnips, cubed

4 cups pumpkin or kabocha, cubed

3 garlic cloves, minced

4 sprigs rosemary, de-stemmed and chopped

4 sprigs of thyme, de-stemmed and chopped

4-5 sage leaves, minced

4-5 tablespoons of butter

Maldon sea salt, to taste

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Add butter to saucepan and cook over low-medium heat. Cook until the butter smells nutty with brown flecks.

2. Add all prepared vegetables to extra-large baking sheet. Drizzle brown butter evenly (make sure to scrape all the brown bits out!) and top with fresh herbs. Season with sea salt and bake for 45-50 minutes or until softened and tender.

MAPLE, CRANBERRY & SWEET CHERRY PIE WITH WALNUT, OAT CRUMBLE (Gluten-free)

Crust (Adapted from Artisanal Gluten-free Cooking):

2 1/4 cup gluten-free all purpose flour (I used Bob’s)

6 tablespoons butter, frozen

2 teaspoons apple cider vineegar

1/3 cup cold water

1 egg

1/2 teaspoon maldon sea salt

Whisk together flour and salt before grating 1 stick of butter into the mixture. In another bowl, mix together egg, water and vinegar. Make a well in the flour and pour in the wet ingredients. Mix by hand until dough forms. Divide into 2 pieces and chill for 30 minutes.

Filling:

3 cups cranberries, whole

4 cups frozen sweet cherries, thawed and drained

1/3 cup tapioca or arrowroot starch

2 tablespoons maple syrup

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Combine cranberries, cherries, vanilla and maple syrup in a large bowl. Add starch, brown sugar and cinnamon until well combined. Take dough out of the oven. Roll out and form crust into a greased pie dish. Add filling to pie crust and set aside.

Topping:

1/2 cup gluten-free oats

1/2 cup walnuts, chopped

1/2 cup almond meal

1/4 cup gluten-free flour (I used sorghum)

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

Freshly grated nutmeg

6 tablespoons butter, frozen

2 tablespoons maple syrup

Combine walnuts, oats, almond meal and flour in a large bowl. Whisk in sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. Grate in frozen stick of butter. Drizzle in maple syrup and combine until crumbly. Add mixture to the top of pie and bake for 45-50 minutes at 375 or until crust is browned and fruit is bubbling.

SALTED CARAMEL APPLE AND PEAR PIE WITH ALMOND CRUST (Gluten-free)

Crust: (Adapted from La Tartine Gourmand)

2/3 cup sorghum flour

1/3 cup tapioca starch

1/3 cup almond meal

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons xanthum gum

6 1/2 tablespoons cold butter, diced

1 egg

1 tablespoon water

Pulse first five ingredients together in a food processor. Add butter and pulse until crumbs form. Then, add egg and water until dough comes away from the bowl. Divide into 4 flour-dusted balls, cover in syran wrap and chill for 2 hours.

Filling:

2-3 large honeycrisp apples, sliced thin

2 large bosc pears, sliced thin

3 tablespoons butter, melted

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

Freshly grated nutmeg

Once dough is chilled, roll out and for crust in a greased pie pan. Fan out pears and apples in an overlapping “galette style”. Brush melted butter as you set the fruit, drizzling in granulated sugar evenly over each layer. Reserve a small amount of butter for the crust and coat with brown sugar. Bake the pie at 400 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until crust is browned and fruit is bubbling.

Caramel:

1 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup water

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 1/2 teaspoon maldon sea salt

Cook the sugar and water together over low heat until dissolved. Add butter and bring to a low boil. Continue cooking at a low boil until mixture turns a deep, brown color. It may take a while, but be sure the heat isn’t too high as it will be ruined if it begins smoking. Stir is sea salt. Once pie is baked, drizzle caramel topping over pie and top with more sea salt.