General Information

Origin: Europe
Etymology: from the Lombard word seleri, ultimately from the Latin selenon. The plant was originally believed to be under the influence of the moon goddess, Selene. 

An umbelliferous garden plant.

Celery grows in temperate countries, 12-16” above the ground. It forms a “head” of plump ridged stalks topped with tender leaves.

During the reign of Louis XV, the Prince of Conti, whose primary concern was beautiful women, would have celery soup for supper: it kept him in fine form in case the evening required his gallantry. On frescoes found in Pompeii, celery is shown as a symbol of love. Two more recent proverbs describe its outstanding qualities: “Celery revitalizes old husbands,” and “If women knew what celery could do for their husbands, they would go all the way to Rome to find it.”

There are two kinds of celery:
• Celery, properly speaking, of which the stalks and leaves are eaten;
• And celeriac (celery root), used for its root. 

Nutritional values per 100 g
Calories: 16; carbohydrates: 3.65 g; fat: 0.14 g; water: 94.64 g; protein: 0.75 g; fiber: 1.5 g.
Rich in calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium and vitamins A, B, C and K.

Buying
Look for firm, almost brittle, stalks and very green leaves with no wilting.
The heart should have a plume of tender unwithered little leaves.

Storing
Keep in a dark cool place or in the refrigerator.
Celery stalks keep for 3 or 4 days in the vegetable crisper of the refrigerator.

Wrap in a damp cloth, place in a perforated plastic bag, or keep in a sealed container in the refrigerator to prevent dehydration, as with any other vegetable with a high water content. 

If it’s a bit wilted, wrap the celery in paper towel and place the base in a pot of water.
Celery can be frozen if first blanched for 5 minutes.

Preparing
Referred to as “ribs,” sleek celery stalks are refreshingly crisp and crunchy. Medium to light green, celery's fresh edible leaves can be used like an herb.

Cut off the base; detach the stalks except if cooking a whole braised head. Wash well.     

Cooking     
Steam, boil or cook in a blanc (water to which some flour and lemon juice have been added); the celery should be tender, but not overcooked.   
             
Use stalks from the heart; otherwise remove the “strings” from the outer, most fibrous, stalks.

Don’t throw your celery leaves away! Use them to flavor a broth or soup. They’re indispensable for making chicken stock, since they help clarify it and reduce the number of suspended particles.

Enjoying – cold    
In salad
Waldorf – Apples, celery, mayonnaise and chopped walnuts.

Combine the finely chopped leaves and tender stalks from a celery heart with flaked crabmeat on a bed of white rice, with a tangy mustard vinaigrette or a yogurt and horseradish sauce. 

Roquefort-filled celery stalks
Blend the cheese with butter or crème fraîche to make it creamier. Place in a pastry bag and pipe into celery stalks.

Put 2 stalks of celery, 2 apples and 2 carrots in a juicer. You’ll get a vitamin-filled beverage that makes a quick breakfast.

Enjoying – hot      
In a purée
Braise celery in a rich consommé; thicken with some potato.

Braised
Braise some celery hearts in chicken stock or beef consommé for an hour with some pearl onions and bacon bits. Serve with the reduced juice as an accompaniment to a roast.