With all the winter ahead of us for a while, why not try something that will perk you up? Growing celery indoors is fun and works! While you may get more leaves than stalks with this method of growing, and your celery may not be as big as a store-bought bunch, the freshness will make you smile. There are great ways to use celery leaves in cooking. Think of them as an herb–they can taste like mild celery, or be a tad bitter. You can use celery leaves in soups and stews, and some people use them as a substitute for cilantro. What You Need • A bunch of celery (you will only be using the base, the rest can be refrigerated and used in cooking) • A large, sharp knife • A small dish or plastic container • Fresh water • A small garden pot or container with drainage holes in the bottom. • Potting soil • Slow-release fertilizer I used organic as celery is one of the produce items that receive a lot of pesticides while growing. Here is the how-to: Instead of tossing the base, rinse it off and place it in a small saucer or bowl of warm water on or near a sunny windowsill, base side down and cut stalks facing upright. Keep the celery base in the dish of water for right around one week. Over the course of the week, the surrounding stalks will begin to dry out significantly, but the tiny little yellow leaves from the center of the base begin thickening, growing up and out from the center, and turning a dark green. The growth is slow, but steady. Change out the water every couple of days. Also, use a spray bottle to spray water directly onto the base of the celery where the leaves are growing out. After the five to seven days, transfer the celery base to a planter and cover it completely, except for the leaf tips, with a mixture of dirt and potting soil. Water it generously and, after planting in the soil, the overall growth will really take off. You will soon have celery leaves regenerating themselves from the base but clear stalks making their way up and out. After a couple of months the celery will be in full growing mode. Cut the stalks off as soon they start to grow a few inches, they will be thin. If you leave them grow too long they will start to wilt. Cutting those side stalks off will help the center keep growing. This works very well and it keeps regenerating. You will find it takes a lot of water when you have the celery potted. But don’t overwater, let dry out slightly. If you overwater or underwater you will soon have brown, dried up celery. Simply start over and give it another try! I am going to experiment this spring and see if I can transplant this growing celery in my garden. I will be updating you with the results. If you have gardening questions contact me at cjinspirations@gmail.com. Once you have your celery, try these fun celery recipes…
Celery Salad Ingredients 4 stalks celery, with leaves 4 radishes 8 ounces block of fresh feta 10-12 black olives
Lemony vinaigrette Ingredients 1 lemon, zested and juiced ½ to 1 clove of garlic, finely minced ¼ teaspoon Dijon mustard ½ cup extra virgin olive oil Salt and pepper to taste Directions Slice the block of feta into 4 equal pieces and place each on a separate plate Thoroughly wash and dry celery and radishes. Either by hand or on a mandolin, thinly slice radishes and celery. Removing celery threads as needed. Set aside. In separate bowl, combine lemon zest and juice, minced garlic and mustard and stir to combine with a whisk. Add in a small pinch of salt (the feta and olives already have plenty of salt) and a generous grind of black pepper. Slowly whisk in olive oil a dribble at a time, until incorporated and emulsified. Taste as you go to check for balance. Either add or leave out olive oil as needed. Toss celery and radishes in the dressing then spoon over the feta. Tear the olives into pieces while removing the pits and toss over the salad.
Cream of Celery Soup Ingredients 3 tablespoons butter 1 bunch of celery (use some of your little stalks to fill in and use the leaves) 2 large onions, chopped 3 tablespoons flour 6 cups chicken broth (reduced sodium) 1 bay leaf 1 cup heavy cream 1 tablespoon lemon juice 3-4 dashes hot sauce Salt White pepper Celery leaves and croutons for garnish Directions In a large saucepan, melt butter; add celery, onions and garlic. Cook over medium low heat until soft. Add flour and cook 1-2 minutes over low heat. Add chicken broth and bay leaf, bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Add cream, lemon juice, hot sauce, salt and pepper. Reheat and simmer for 5 minutes Garnish with celery leaves and croutons.