Three Minute Thursday #3 - Crunch Time

Here are some ideas, which are quick and easy, for using up any celery which may be lurking in the fridge. Celery is an ancient veg - trivial fact - Howard Carter found that King Tutankhamen's tomb had been decorated with garlands of wild celery.  

Salads; Everybody knows Waldorf Salad contains celery [plus apple, walnuts, mayo and grapes or raisins] but a stick of celery diced and thrown into any salad gives a bit of extra crunch. 

Braised - when you roast a chicken, cut a few celery sticks in half and lay them round the bird in the roasting pan. They will make a lovely hot vegetable.

Crudités - [or Cruddites to rhyme with Luddites, if you must] One carrot, one stick of celery quickly washed and sliced, served with a small pot of soft cheese [or hummus or salsa]. A much healthier snack than a stack of crackers or Pringles...

Remember to save your celery leaves from the top as a pretty, instant garnish for soup



Canapés - pipe or spread soft cheese into the trough along a stick of celery then cut with a sharp knife. Use herbed cheese, or sprinkle plain with a little paprika/pimenton for an attractive contrast

Make a quick relish - this one goes well with roast or bbq chicken - Chop celery and cucumber into dice, add spring onions, seasonings and olive oil. A handful of cranberries, if you have them will add a hint of tartness and a pop of colour.

And never forget the celery curls - cut a stick into 5cm lengths, and make narrow cuts just halfway down. That will take just a few minutes. Leave these in a bowl of iced water in the fridge - come back later to twirly little garnishes.

More Celery Trivia - both Madame de Pompadour and Casanova believed celery to be an aphrodisiac. Mediaeval magicians thought if they put celery seeds in their shoes it would help them to fly.

And I am sorry, but it is a myth that 'celery helps you slim, because it takes more calories to chew a stick than are contained in that stick'. But is is full of water and fibre, which makes it a healthy snack.