farm crops: celery
info: Celery is a leaf stalk vegetable with a crisp texture & distinctive flavor. A good source of vitamins C and B6, calcium and dietary fiber.storage: Wrap in damp paper towels & store in refrigerator crisper drawer for up to one week.
preparation: Wash with cold water. Cut off the base & leafy green ends and cut ribs to desired lengths. Eat the rib sections raw. To cook: boil, braise, or steam. Makes a good addtion to many soups, stews, and casseroles.
If the raw ribs get wilted, submerge in ice water for ten minutes, which should retsore their crunch.
Be sure to eat the leafy green tops too. They've got much of the vitamin C in the plant.
recipes: history:
from Celery First Used as a Medicine
Celery (Apium graveolens) is believed to be the same plant as selinon, mentioned in Homer's Odyssey about 850 B.C. Our word "celery" comes from the French celeri, which is derived from the ancient Greek word...
The oldest record of the word celeri is in a 9th-century poem written in France or Italy, giving the medicinal uses and merits of the plant. When its culture in gardens was begun in the 16th century in Italy and northern Europe, it was still a primitive plant, like smallage, and was used for medicinal purposes only. In France in 1623 use of celery as food was first recorded. For about a hundred years thereafter its food use was confined to flavorings. In France and Italy, by the middle of the 17th century, the little stalks and leaves were sometimes eaten with an oil dressing. ... read more