Celery leaves

[mint]

Yesterday, I bought a very fine head of celery and it was made the sweeter because the woman at the till started weighing it and I told her the price was "la pièce".

She hummed and she hahhed and then she consulted her colleague and then she called the "Chef de Legumes" (or whatever title it was she said he held).

Anyway, he came back with the notice and it did say what I told her.

Cut a long story short, I now have this lovely celery and we had some in a salad last night and today I have used some stalks in a vegetable soup.

Then, I see all these lovely, bright green leaves and it seems a shame just to throw them away (in view of the stand I'd made to be charged the right price).  My question therefore is this:

What can you do with celery leaves?  Can you blanche them and eat them like you would spinach with butter, salt and pepper and a grating of nutmeg?  Do they taste OK like that?

Anyone use them in other ways?

[5-element]

I am sure someone will be along in less than one minute, who will say completely the opposite to this, but here it goes:

Celery leaves can ony be used....sparingly, as the taste is too overpowering. A little of it in a mixed vegetable soup goes a long way, indeed, no mixed vegetable soup would be self-respecting without its celery leaves (sorry, leaf!).

I eagerly await other points of view.

[Clair]

I use them in soups and salads, but yes, their flavour is strong.

I have read about drying them in the oven at low temp, crumbling them and using them as a herb (tomato soup, bloody mary...)

[mint]

Ah, my 2 virtual French friends coming to my rescue.  Thank you.

Have chopped up a few leaves and will add them to the soup a few minutes before serving to add some colour and, sadly, will be discarding the rest.[:(]

 

[5-element]

Sweet 17, I hope it's not too late, but you don't have to discard them, you could freeze them, and use them bit by bit?

[mint]

No, not too late, 5-e, I will wash them and bag them straightaway and freeze them.  What a brilliant idea!

And they did look very pretty and green in the soup!

It would have been a shame not to have used them after I felt so triumphant to have "bested" a French cashier and to have remembered that "la pièce" means "entière" or a "whole one"! LOL 

[Catalpa]

I whizz celery leaves in a blender or processor and add them to soups, vegetable quiches and some pasta dishes, particularly those with fish. They're very useful. But they do need to be very finely chopped otherwise they're too tough. To keep them fresh longer, take the leafy ends off the celery and put them in a glass of water and store them somewhere cool. Change the water daily and the leaves will keep for several days though they're best when fresher of course. Enjoy. [:)]

[YCCMB]

If you're going to whizz them, then why not pour the surplus whizzed bits into an ice cube tray and freeze them like that? Then you have readily available smaller quantities to add when you need them.

Never done it with celery leaves, but it seems a logical way to save them.

[mint]

Well, I froze some last night the way they were, washed and bagged.  Just taken a look at them and they appear to be fine.  What they'll be like when thawed would be interesting, I think.

But it's a good suggestion to use them in the way you have mentioned, Catalpa.  And perhaps sprinked on top of vegetable and fish curries might also be nice.  Will also use them in cheese and onion quiches.

Betty, I might also try freezing them in little tubs ready to use, like you have suggested.

You'll never believe a head of celery could have so many marvellous green leaves.  When I used to buy them back at the UK, the heads were always chopped off and I might get left with a few pale green, sickly-looking leaves that I didn't mind throwing away.  But it seems to me positively shameful to throw away the healthy leaves of this celery.  They even look as though they must contain lots of chlorophyl or iron or whatever it is that gives them such a healthy green appearance.

[BIG MAC]

There's a childhood misconception just gone by the by.

We were told as kids that celery leaves were like rhubarb leaves and that they would make you ill if you ate them.......

[mint]

Not ill yet, Mac![:D]

[Patf]

When you buy a packed veg. selection in the supermarket for soup or stew there's always a stick of celery and a spray of leaves as well. Together with leek carrot onion etc.

[BIG MAC]

[quote user="Patf"]When you buy a packed veg. selection in the supermarket for soup or stew there's always a stick of celery and a spray of leaves as well. Together with leek carrot onion etc.[/quote]

When you buy a birthday cake it may have candles on it and come in a box........I wouldn't eat either!

[5-element]

Big Mac, could the following begin to convince you about the benefits of celery?

 

Celery provides an excellent source of vitamin C and fiber.  It is a very good source of
folic acid, potassium, and vitamins B1 and B6.  Celery also offers a good source of
vitamin B2 and calcium.  Even though celery contains more sodium than most other
vegetables, the sodium is offset by it's high levels of potassium.  Studies have shown that
the amount of sodium is not significant even for the most salt-sensitive individuals.  

Celery contains phytochemical compounds known as coumarins.  Studies have shown
that they are effective in cancer prevention and capable of enhancing the activity of
certain white blood cells.  Coumarin compounds also lower blood pressure, tone the
vascular system, and are possibly effective when used in cases of migraines.  Due to the
high levels of potassium and sodium, when celery-based juices are consumed after a
workout they serve as great electrolyte replacement drinks.  Studies have also shown
that celery may help to lower cholesterol and prevent cancer by improving detoxification.
Celery extract that contains 85% 3nB, has been shown to be effective in the treatment of
"rheumatism".

[BIG MAC]

Actually I like the stuff although it gets a little boring. I didn't realise it was so good for you though....

I don't think I will eat the leaves though, not without hypnosis or something!

 

 

[mint]

Mac, haven't got the link now but I did read that celery is THE superfood for virility!

Honest, read it in the Times so MUST be true, right?[:D]

[Théière]

Quite right Sweets, I heard years ago that celery was an aphrodisiac.........

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Use it for splints [:-))][:D][:P]

[mint]

Er...........Teapot, to which part of the anatomy did you apply the splints?

Me, I'm just curious, see?

[mint]

Have come back here, dear friends, to tell you that I have just used the last of my frozen celery leaves.

Used another lot last week but didn't cook them quite enough.  I ate them but OH (fusspot that he is) carefully picked them out of the pasta sauce I made!

From frozen, they lose a lot of volume and look just like frozen spinach.  But there, the resemblance ends as they are still tough.  Seems to lose a bit of their strenghth of taste but, by golly, they don't half look good in veg soup.  Dark green and floating beautifully.

So, thank you, everyone for your suggestions, especially 5-element who came up with the wonderful suggestion of freezing them.

No more excuse for wasting celery leaves then:  just wash and freeze and use as needed.[:D] 

[just john]

Be brave S17 Dip the celery leaves in the dusting flour, and then into the tempura batter. Fry in the hot oil for about three minutes until golden brown, lubbly jubbly [8-|]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/database/duckteriyakiwithpick_83001.shtml

link repaired by a mod

[mint]

Hi, John, didn't realise you were such a foodie.

Alas, can't get your link to work and can't get it to load even when I copied it.

To be honest, I don't much like Japanese food.......not since the time I thought wasabi was some pretty pale green condiment and popped a whole helping of it into my mouth!

You should have seen me coughing and spluttering with the tears coursing down my cheeks and feeling an absolute redneck.  Especially when it happened in a rather posh Japanese restaurant when I was someone's guest.

Arrrrrrrrrrrgh.............now you've made me relive the moment and I always just knew it was something I'd never live down!

[just john]

Link now fixed, (thanks mod) its not just japanese, more like one more way to make duck different, [8-|]

you could also use the same method for deep frying oysters for a starter, (beats that swallowing reflex[Www])

and for pud see

http://www.completefrance.com/cs/forums/2/1231938/ShowPost.aspx#1231938

[mint]

Coming back here to let all penny- or centime-watching people know that celery leaves are definitely worth freezing to use at a later date.

Bought another huge celery today and have already cut off the leaves to be frozen and used as required.  It's not just the money as I don't expect you'd save more than a few cents.  You just feel so virtuous and not some lackadaisical, air-head of a housewife!

Plus you feel at the very least that you are somehow "worthy" and not wasteful of the planet's resources!         LOL................

[Tony F Dordogne]

And if you've got room in your herb bed, grow lovage, tastes just like celery, not the grief you get with growing celery and stays in from spring until at least first frosts.

[andyh4]

Lots of salt (bad for you) and malt or red wine vinegar and serve as a salad dish on its own.  Not everyone's taste but I love it.