Spring brings lots of unusual things to the farmer's markets. Who ever thought of purple asparagus? Asparagus is supposed to be green. The purple variety does have a slightly different flavor and can really dress up a plate. White acorn and pattipan squash, along with white pumpkins, are more of the new verities available. Everyone knows these are not supposed to be white. The delicacy of the white squash is lovely, and it can be an excellent way to get finicky kids to eat their veggies.

Then there are the OTHERS. The things no one can quite identify, but you know they have to be edible because they came in on the wagon with the rest of the vegetables. Things like Kohlrabi, that resembles something out of a science fiction movie, and Celeriac, or celery root, that looks sort of like Kohlrabi crossed with a rock. These taste delicious when fixed properly.

Kohlrabi is a member of the cabbage family. The edible bulb is actually a swollen stem. Preparation is simple.

Preheat the oven to 400 F.

Wash and pare several small Kohlrabi. These come in both green and purple. You can get some of each, just for appearance. If the Kohlrabi are small and tender, there may be no need to peel the skin.

Cut the vegetables in half, then into even ¼ to ½ inch slices. Toss with a little extra virgin olive oil, sprinkle with some freshly ground sea salt. Arrange on a baking sheet, and put in the oven. Check them every seven to ten minutes. They will become soft at first, and then will begin to brown around the edges. As soon as they begin to brown, take them out of the oven.

Celeriac is another matter all together. It can be roasted, the same as asparagus or kohlrabi. But then you pretty much just have roasted celery tasting stuff. Instead, what about Celeriac Au Gratin?

Wash and peel one medium size celery root. Cut into ¼ inch pieces.

Wash and slice [unpeeled] three large russet potatoes.

Layer these vegetables alternately in a large dutch oven

Pour just enough milk over the top to cover.

Making sure to keep the heat to medium, bring the pot to a slow boil. Once the vegetables are fork tender, turn off the heat. Add some salt to taste and a good pinch of nutmeg.

Spread eight ounces of shredded cheese over the top. (Cheddar works well)

Bake at 400° F for about 40 minutes, or until the liquid has thickened and the cheese is browned and bubbly.