CELERY IN SEASON

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21876, 11 August 1934, Page 7 (Supplement)

CELERY IN SEASON

WHOLESOME AND DELICIOUS "When celery makes its decorative appearance in tho vegetable world, every home cook should rejoice, for its medicinal properties are excellent, and there are many attractive ways of serving it. It is excellent, for example, in stews and soups. Cream of celery is particularly good, and chopped celery in the right proportions will improve all the following soups: —One head of celery in ox-tail soup, one stick in pea soup; half a head in julienne soup; one stick in fish soup; one small stick in vegetable soup made without stock. Celery and Eggs.—Make a batter of two eggs, one cupful of milk, a tablespoonful of melted butter, one cupful of flour, ana a pinch of salt. Boil until tender in salted water stalks 6f celery cut into four-inch lengths, draw, cool and dry. Dip in batter, fry in deep fat, drain and serve with brown sauce.

Green Celery Tea. —Take three good hearts of .celery, wash very thoroughly in plenty of cold water and salt, then chop all up very small, and put into a jar or jug with a quart of water, and saltspoonful of salt, cover closely, and steam four hours. Strain carefully, mix with half the quantity of fresh milk, season with a little salt and pepper, and drink hot. This is good for rheumatism. y

As a Garnish. —To curl the stalks of celery, take a small, sharp knife and cut the tops in fine strips like a fringe, and to a depth of about two inches. Throw into cold water, and in a short time these little strips will curl over and give a decorative appearance to the stalks of celery. If the curled celery is required as a garnish for a salad or such-like, cut a few firm pieces about four inches long. Cut both ends down in narrow strips, leaving an inch or so in the centre as a foundation. Let these lie in cold water for half an hour or so until they curl up. Apple ann Celery Salad. —Though it is not often met with, apple and celery salad is one of the most delightful of winter salads, and nobly fills the gap when lettuce is unprocurable. It can be made in next to no time.

Peel and core some crisp apples, and cut them into either cubes or slices — not too small. Take about twice as much fresh celery, and cut it into neat pieces. Add just a dash of very finely chopped onion (it really "makes" the salad), mix all well together, and just before serving toss the whole into a good, creamy salad dressing. Serve with anv cold meat.

Cheese and Celery.—Take a whole head of celery, wash it well, and search all nooks and crannies for foreign bodies, but do not break off more of the sticks than necessary. Boil it whole (minus its top, of course) in plenty of salted water until it ,is tender. Drain it well and put in a shallow bakins dish. Make a good white sauce with flour and butter and milk, season with pepper and salt, and pour over the ton of the celery. Now cover it with thick slices of cheddar cheese, and brown it under the griller. If you want to make a mote substantia' meal, surround it with hard-btiiled eggs. The water in which the celery was cooked will make soup, white or brown.