As happens during the cold dreary days of winter, I was going through the China cabinet looking to see what I could get rid of. I found one of my mom’s celery vases. Yes, a vase for celery. And because I was not in a cleaning mood, I got side tracked into thinking about celery. I like celery, I like it raw with peanut butter or cream cheese, stuck in a Bloody Mary or as a chaser for hot wings.
Celery is a much-vaunted diet food. Celery is high in fiber and nutrients and low in calories. It’s full of potassium, vitamins, and antioxidants. Celery is 95% water. It’s a great snack if you’re trying to lose weight or for regular bowel movements. Celery certainly has a lot going for it nutritionally. A powerful source of antioxidants, celery can help protect cells, blood vessels and organs from oxidative damage. Celery contains substances like flavonoids, which help reduce inflammation in your body and celery is an excellent source of vitamin K which helps with blood clotting and bone metabolism. Studies also suggest it can help boost cardiovascular health, lower blood pressure, alleviate joint pain, soothe the nervous system, and with only 10 calories per stick, it can also help with weight loss. Also, celery is a safe crunchy treat for dogs.
Humans have been consuming celery for over 3,000 years. It was primarily used as a medicine throughout the ancient world, treating a range of ailments from nervousness to indigestion. The ancient Egyptians used celery to treat rheumatism, but also used it to honor their dead. In fact, garlands of it were found in Tutankhamun’s tomb.
Native to the Mediterranean, celery cultivation began in the early 1800s in the cool, damp wetlands of East Anglia. Before refrigerated box cars and industrial agriculture, you could only grow celery in very specific places, so only a few people could get their hands on it. It was a status symbol and valuable foodstuff that people wanted to show off. During the Victorian era, celery was the hottest dish to eat. A craze for celery reached fervor. As celery became more widely available in urban markets, it was embraced by status-conscious consumers as a marker of elegance and taste. It even had its own dedicated serving container: the celery glass or celery vase. The typical vessel was shaped like a parfait glass, between eight and twelve inches tall and made from decorated glass or silver. A celery bunch would be inserted vertically into the vase, with ice water in the bottom to keep the stalks fresh and crisp, the leafy tops spreading out above like a bouquet of flowers. Celery was also cooked, especially after it began to wilt. The cooked celery was given its own serving plate. Between the 1830s and the early 1900s, celery appeared as a standalone dish in countless cookbooks and housekeepers’ guides. Celery was served in a first-class cabin dinner with roast squab, cress, and pâté de foie gras aboard the Titanic.
Celery in the U.S. is grown mostly in California and Michigan. It requires a long, cool growing season. Just as early railroads extended the reach of market gardeners in the 1840s, the advent of transcontinental rail lines and refrigerated cars made celery a nationally marketed commodity. In the process, celery lost its linkage with the winter holidays and became a year-round vegetable. As celery lost its luster, it was no longer considered something fancy, becoming just one of the many raw or pickled vegetables—carrots, radishes, olives, cucumbers—found on the always present “relish tray” at fancy restaurants and cocktail parties in the 1950s. Celery vases may have gone out of style, but one would be hard-pressed to find a premade veggie tray without a slot for celery. Like it or not, celery isn’t going anywhere.
Alton Brown’s Braised Celery
8 stalks celery, rinsed and trimmed, leaves chopped and reserved
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
Pinch kosher salt
Pinch freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup good quality beef stock or broth
Directions
Peel any of the fibrous outer stalks of celery with a vegetable peeler and slice into 1-inch pieces on the bias. Heat the butter in a 10-inch sauté pan over medium heat. Once melted, add the celery, salt and pepper and cook for 5 minutes until just beginning to soften slightly. Add the beef broth and stir to combine. Cover and reduce the heat to low. Cook until the celery is tender but not mushy, approximately 5 minutes. Uncover and allow the celery to continue to cook for an additional 5 minutes or until the liquid has been reduced to a glaze. Transfer to a serving dish and garnish with the reserved leaves.
Grown Up Ants on A Log
Ingredients
5.3 oz tub mild goat cheese (Try not to use crumbly goat cheese, since it won’t pipe well.)
1/2 tsp ancho chili powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp honey
8 ribs celery
1/4 cup chopped pecans toasted
1/4 cup chopped dried cherries
Instructions
In a small bowl, stir to combine the goat cheese, ancho chili powder, salt, mustard, and honey. Rinse the celery well, and pat dry. Cut into 1.5-inch pieces, and cut a small sliver off the bottom of the celery so it stands upright easily on a platter. Place the goat cheese mixture into a piping bag fitted with a star tip, then pipe the goat cheese into each piece of celery. Sprinkle with toasted pecans and dried cherries, then serve. Enjoy!
