Celery — cool, green and crisp or cooked in a casserole

Press, 1 May 1978, Page 12

Celery — cool, green and crisp or cooked in a casserole

Home & People

Bunches of crisp, green celery are now attracting us into green grocers’ shops and 1 am sure some of you would like a few suggestions for serving this vegetable apart from adding it to soups and casseroles.

Fresh celery goes very well with cheese, winter or summer, to top off a meal and some families like a celery salad whatever the outside tempera-

ture. Celery is excellent cooked as a hot vegetable, for a light luncheon meal ar for a supper dish. BRAISED CELERY Braised Celery makes a tasty accompaniment with hot meats. Ingredients given make enough to serve four. You will need:— 4 cups sliced celery 2 tablespoons butter I cup chicken stock

1 teaspoon salt Pepper ivttLiiod: Melt butter in pan and add the stock, v nich may be made from powder or a cube. If either is used watch the salt content. Add the celery sliced in |-inch pieces. Cover and cook 20 minutes or until crisp-tender. Add seasoning to taste. CELERY CASSEROLE Carrot and Celery Casserole can be used as a

vegetarian dish or as an accompaniment to meat. The recipe makes enough for four servings. You will need:— 2 cups cooked and diced carrots 2 cups coarsely cut celery 1 small can (about 1 cup) drained green peas or cooked frozen peas 1 can mushroom soup Salt and pepper Crackers cereal or breadcrumbs Butter Method: Dilute soup with a small amount of milk and add vegetables and seasonings. Pour into greased casserole, top with crumbs and dot with butter. Bake at 350 for 30 to 40 minutes. CHEESED CELERY Cheesed celery is parboiled then baked uncovered and sprinkled with grated cheese. This recipe makes a good accompaniment to fish or poultry and servies five or You will need:B 4 Cups celery cut into one-inch lengths. 2 tablespoons butter One-third cup grated sharp cheese Salt and pepper About 1 cup chicken or beef stock. Method: Place celery in soup. saucepan with boiling stock and salt to taste. Cook for 10 minutes or until crisp-tender. Drain

well and place in greased shallow baking dish. Dot with butter and sprinkle with pepper and grated cheese. Bake uncovered at 350 until cheese has melted and is lightly coloured. CELERY CREAM SOUP This recipe for Celery Cream Soup is for those who prefer to make their own soup to opening a can of it. Ingredients make about five cups of coup. You will need: — 2 cups celery, thickly sliced } cup butter 1 tablespoon finely chopped onion J cup flour 2 cups chicken stock or bullion cubes 2 cups milk | cup finely chopped celery leaves } teaspoon salt | teaspoon black pepper. Method: Melt butter in saucepan; add celery and onion and saute for five minutes or until celery is soft. Remove from heat and blend in flour. Add stock and milk and stir until soup has thickened. Add the chopped celery leaves and seasoning. CELERY RIBS Celery ribs stuffed with a cheese mixture are delicious served as an appetiser or with a salad. The following mixture makes a good savoury stuffing to fill about 15 ribs of celery.

You will need:— 150 g cream cheese 2 tablespoons sour cream 3 tablespoons finely chopped chieves Pinch of garlic powder Salt About 15 ribs crisp young celery about 3 to 4 inches long Method’.Combine cheese and sour cream and beat well. Blend in chives, garlic powder and salt to taste. Prepare celery ribs by separating stalks, washing well and removing any blemishes. Remove coarse leaves but leave the young, tender leaves attached. Place in very cold water and leave to stand for 3 to 4 hours in a refrigerator to become crisp. Drain and dry thoroughly. Then with a knife, neatly fill celery ribs with the cheese mixture, or pipe it through an icing tube. CELERY STUFFING This celery stuffing is for a chicken and should be enough to fill a 3 Kg bird. You will need: — 1 cup chopped celery cup chopped onion 3 cups toasted bread cubes One-third cup melted butter 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning I teaspoon salt Black pepper Method: Saute the onions and celery in | cup butter until limp then combine with remaining ingredients and mix well. CELERY, CUCUMBER AND CHEESE Celery, cucumber and cheese in a type of aspic make a change for a light luncheon snack or to serve with a salad. The mixture is moulded and cut into cubes for serving. It keeps well in a refrigerator. You will need: 1 packet lemon jelly crystals 1 teaspoon gelatine 1 cup hot water t cup cold water 1J teaspoons vinegar J teaspoon salt Pepper to taste J cup mayonnaise One-third cup finely chopped celery 1 cup cottage cheese 1 tablespoon finely chopied onion 2 small cucumbers, peeled and grated One-third cup chopped parsley. Method: Dissolve jelly crystals in the cup of hot water. Sprinkle gelatine on top of the i cup cold water and add to the hot jelly, stir well until both are thoroughly dissolved. Add vinegar, mayonnaise, salt and pepper and beat with rotary beater until well blended. into refrigerator trays: and chill quickly in freezing unit for about 15 or 20 minutes or until firm ,for about one inch from the edges, but still soft in the centre. Turn into basin and whip with rotary beater until fluffy. Fold in celery, cottage cheese, onion, cucumber and parsley and pour into shallow container or back into the trays. Return to refrigerator until firm. Cut into cubes for serving.

FOOD AND RECIPES By Celia Timms