The Lowly Celery Stalk

Getting enough fruits and vegetables in your daily diet isn’t really too tough during the summer; there are so many delicious varieties to choose from that are in season and so at their peak. When fall begins, the gourd family and the root vegetables are arriving and along with them new crops of apples and pears. But as we enter the depth of winter, I am always looking for something different to perk up the menu.


Enter the common, lowly celery stalk. Celery is available year round and shows up on the relish tray almost as an also-ran. It is sometimes used as a vehicle for peanut butter or cheese spreads which make an excellent snack, especially for kids—but have you ever thought of celery as highly nutritious and as gourmet fare?

The Romans wore wreaths of celery to protect them from hangovers after their notorious bacchanalia, which may explain the practice of putting celery sticks in Bloody Marys. The evidence is sketchy on its ability to cure over indulgence, but it does have many health benefits.

As a member of the parsley family, celery is a good source of insoluble fiber and contains significant amounts of potassium, vitamin C and calcium. Celery also contains compounds called acetylenics and also phenolic acids which have been shown to stop the growth of tumor cells. It is the leaves that contain the most nutrients, so use them in soups, salads and as part of a raw celery snack. Even celery seeds are nutritious. One tablespoon added to soups, stews or salad dressings contains 3 milligrams of iron.

Cooking celery does nothing to diminish its nutrients, unlike many foods, and there are a surprising (to me) number of delicious and different dishes for celery. I have tried a couple and was delighted. If you are looking for a different winter vegetable, here are some recipes to try:

Braised Celery

2 Tbsp. butter
1 head celery (about 1 ½- 2 pounds)
1 small onion, minced
½ tsp thyme
Salt and Freshly ground pepper
¼ cup dry white wine
1 cup chicken stock
1/3 cup freshly grated Swiss or Gruyere cheese
3 to 4 Tbsp fresh bread crumbs

Heat oven to 325. Using about half the butter, butter a baking dish (9x13). Wash and trim celery, reserving the pale tender stalks, or the heart. Set tops and leaves aside with the heart. Remove the fibrous strings. Cut the stalks into 3 to 4 inch lengths. Arrange them in a layer in the baking dish. Finely chop the reserved celery heart, the tops and leaves. Melt the remaining butter in a skillet over medium high heat. Add the onion, thyme and chopped celery heart and leaves. Season with salt and pepper. Sauté, stirring occasionally until the vegetables are soft and beginning to brown, about 10 minutes. Pour in the wine and simmer until the pan is almost dry, about 3 minutes. Add the stock and simmer until reduced by half, another 7 minutes or so. Pour the celery mixture over the celery sticks. Cover with foil and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Remove from oven and increase oven heat to 400. Sprinkle the cheese and bread crumbs over the celery and return to oven until the cheese is melted and the top is crusty and browned, about 10 more minutes. Serve hot or warm.

The following three recipes were taken from Woman’s Day Encyclopedia of Cookery:

Fried Celery

Dip pieces of cooked celery into beaten egg, then coat with fine dry bread crumbs mixed with grated Parmesan cheese. Fry in deep fat at 360 degrees until delicately browned, or brown in a skillet in a small amount of vegetable oil or butter.

Celery Sauté

4 slices of bacon, cubed
¼ cup minced onions or shallots
3 cups celery, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 cup tomato sauce
½ cup beef gravy
6 slices of toast, cut into triangles

Fry bacon until crisp. Remove pieces and reserve. Sauté onions in the fat until golden brown. Add celery pieces, tomato sauce and beef gravy. Cover and simmer until celery is tender, adding more tomato sauce if necessary. Serve over toast triangles, sprinkled with crisp pieces of bacon. Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Baked Celery with Cheese and Ham

3 cups celery, cut into julienne strips
3 cups chopped ham
2 cups grated sharp Cheddar cheese
½ cup butter
¼ cup flour
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup light cream
Salt
¼ cup dry bread crumbs.

Cover celery strips with salted water and cook until tender. Drain. In a well-greased 2-quart casserole, alternate layers of celery, ham and grated cheese. Melt ¼ cup butter. Stir in flour. Gradually stir in chicken broth and cream. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly until smooth and thick. Season to taste. Pour sauce over filled casserole. Sprinkle top with dry bread crumbs. Drizzle ¼ cup melted butter over top. Bake in 350 oven for 25 to 30 minutes. 6 servings.