Leaves of Celery…

Using celery leaves as an ingredient never occurred to me before I read it on the ingredient list of my grandmother’s Thanksgiving stuffing/dressing recipe. Apparently, I was underestimating the leaves that I always discarded along with the cut white bottoms of the stalk. But, grandmas are usually right, and this was no exception: the stuffing got such a boost of freshness and celery-flavor that simply sautéeing the stalks just couldn’t provide. Think of these leaves as a substitute for parsley: hearty and slightly bitter; grassy, but not overwhelming. It’s everything I love about the flavor of celery without the crunch.

Celery leaves may be hard to track down: most grocery store-celery is sold as either the hearts—no tops— or if there are some leaves present, there are only a mere few; a farmer’s market or natural food store may be your best bet at finding them. When our COVID isolation started, I began getting weekly produce boxes from my favorite local farm and I received a surplus of celery with more leaves attached than I knew what to do with. In the interest of resourcefulness, my goal was to find other ways to use up the tops as well as the bottoms in my weekly cooking.

With parsley as a guide, I began substituting celery leaves in dishes such as tabbouleh, pesto, soups and…wait for it…Bloody Marys! Muddled in the bottom of a shaker along with cucumber, olive brine and lime makes for a most spectacular concoction.  I would have never thought of this scrap as either a green or an herb, but I can tell you, I use it as both and it’s one of my new favorite things.

Chimichurri is a South American uncooked sauce/condiment that has parsley as its main ingredient: a perfect candidate for a celery leaf swap! The other components of this sauce are garlic, vinegar, olive oil and oregano; while it is traditionally paired with grilled meat, this eye-opening punch of flavor can be served with anything that could use a little kick—no meat required. The following vegetables—whether grilled, sautéed or roasted—pair well with this sauce: carrots, zucchini, yellow squash, peppers and onions; it even tastes great on baked or roasted potatoes.

The last three months of quarantining at home have given me a renewed sense of creativity as well as an awareness of being resourceful whenever possible. This experiment with the underdog of the celery plant was really a fun way to switch things up a bit. With the success I’ve had, the stalks may soon become the underutilized portion…

DIRTY BLOODY MARY
I find that Bloody Marys are often watered down and flavorless…not this one! Tomato-forward with a salty, briny, limey boost and a kick of heat, this is my new favorite! 

6-8 Celery leaves
2-inch piece of cucumber, diced
1/2 teaspoon celery salt, or more to taste
1-2 TBSP pickled jalapeño juice 
1-2 TSBP olive brine
1/2 lime, juiced and divided
2 large jiggers (3 ounces) cucumber—or plain—vodka, chilled
Ice
V8 or tomato juice
Kosher salt, cayenne, and smoked paprika for rim
Olives, celery, cucumber slices etc. for garnish

Mix 2 teaspoons kosher salt, a dash of cayenne and 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika in a dish. Invert glass, wet rim and dip into salt mixture to coat. In a cocktail shaker muddle celery leaves, diced cucumber, celery salt, and juice from 1/2 lime. Add vodka and 5-6 ice cubes to shaker and shake for approximately 30 seconds; strain into tall glass. Add remaining lime juice and fill to the top with V8. Stir and add garnishes as desired.

MY VEG TABLE’S CHIMICHURRI 
Greens that work well in this versatile dish are parsley, cilantro, celery leaves and carrot top greens. Adding more than one green as the base of this sauce adds another level of flavor; if you only have one on hand, it’s perfectly great on its own.

1/2 cup parsley leaves, celery leaves, carrot top greens or cilantro (or a combination of two or more), finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed 
1 scallion or shallot, finely diced, optional 
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoons ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Allow to sit at room temperature until ready to serve. Pair with grilled meat and/or vegetables.