Celery is a vegetable that many cooks these days use simply for ceremonial purposes – like the obligatory stalk in a Bloody Mary / Caesar. But there’s much more to this trusty old kitchen staple than may meet the eye. And today seems as good as any to elucidate that point…
What does an 800 lb. Gorilla eat? Anything he wants! And this guy chooses
Celery. If it’s good enough for him, maybe you should try it, too…
Whence comes it?
Celery is an ancient herb grown around the world. Wikipedia sums up its hertitage thus:
Celery (Apium graveolens) is a marshland plant in the family Apiaceae that has been cultivated as a vegetable since antiquity. Celery has a long fibrous stalk tapering into leaves. Depending on location and cultivar, either its stalks, leaves, or hypocotyl are eaten and used in cooking. Celery seed is also used as a spice and its extracts have been used in herbal medicine.
Celery is very low in Calories and high in dietary fibre. It is also a good source of vitamin B2, Copper, Vitamin C, Vitamin B6, Calcium, Phosphorus, Magnesium and Vitamin A.
As we all learned on the first day of culinary school, Celery is a member of the Aromatic Veggies Family, along with equally famous Carrots and Onions. Every Meat Stock recipe starts with ample amounts of these guys, and these three components alone comprise your basic Veggie Stock. You can’t get much more basic than Celery in a properly stocked pantry.
But what else is it good for?
Silly question – if you are a frequent, experienced cook, that is.
First and foremost, you should always put fairly large pieces of Celery, Carrot and Onion in the pan with your Roasts, along with chunks of Potato (if you aren’t planning to make Mashed Potatoes separately). Instant side dishes!
Celery is also central to many Soups and Stews, adding a rich, earthy flavour to the mix. And it’s no coincidence that Onions and Carrots show up almost as often as Celery in those recipes. They are, after all, the Three Musketeers of the Food World.
Celery is also a favourite addition to ‘healthy’ Veggie Smoothies and Vegetable Cocktail beverages. They get well-pulped in the process of making those drinks and you never even notice the texture. But you’d certainly notice the lack of Celery’s deep, basic ‘foundation’ flavour in the blend if it wasn’t there.
Celery is also traditional in some popular Salads. As far as I’m concerned, you can’t make a proper Potato Salad without finely diced celery for crunch as well as a ping of Veggie flavour.
But wait – there’s more!
There’s nothing better to chew on than a fresh, crisp Celery stick if you’re trying to lose weight but have trouble with urges to snack between meals. You just have to get past the stringy texture and resist putting other stuff on it – like Peanut Butter or Hommus Dip or Ranch Dressing.
And… A friend of mine who is into ‘all-natural’ options to today’s chemical-filled commercial concoctions insists that a Stalk of celery makes the absolute best tooth brush, if used properly, taking full advantage of its floss-like fibres. I tried it. I works, but it requires more effort than traditional brushing to achieve the same results.
So, c’mon… Give Celery a chance!
~ Maggie J.