Using Celery leaves to spice up your recipe

Celery Leaves

On Saturday we bought some celery from the Farmers Market. I got to thinking about how nice those celery leaves were and wondering if I could use them in a recipe. I decided to cut the leaves up and wash them in a bowl and add them to a kale dish we were fixing that night. While things were cooking I looked up celery leaves on Google. Yes you can use them in cooking. I'm posting some links to sites with some information about using celery leaves in your cooking.

http://www.tarladalal.com/glossary-celery-leaves-259i

Also Known as
Ajmoda ka patta

Description

It is a biennial European plant in the parsley family, having edible roots, leafstalks, leaves, and fruits. They have crisp thick leafs stalks. It has shorter stems and more leaves.
Celery leaves are finely divided and light to dark green in color. Celery leaves are less succulent, but full of flavour.

How to Select

Choose celery that looks crisp and snaps easily when pulled apart. It should be relatively tight and compact and not have stalks that splay out. The leaves should be pale to bright green in color and free from yellow or brown patches. To check for damage, separate the stalks and look for brown or black discoloration.

Culinary Uses

" It is a popular addition to salads and many cooked dishes. Add celery leaves and sliced celery stalks to soups, stews, casseroles, and healthy stir fries
" Enjoy the delicious tradition of eating cream or butter on cooked celery stalks.
" Celery leaves juice can be taken in combination with a vegetable of your choice.
" They are used for seasoning, chopped and used as a garnish (similar to parsley), but more frequently cooked in soups or sauces to improve the taste. The leaves are more nutritious than the stalk.
" Don't throw out the top leaves of celery. Wash them, dry them, and pulverize them. Add an equal amount of salt and use for seasoning in soups or salads.

How to Store

To store celery leave, wrap it in a plastic or damp cloth, place it in a sealed container and store it in the refrigerator bag. Ensure that celery leaves are dry and free from water residue, as this can drain some of its nutrients. Freezing will make celery wilt and should be avoided unless you will be using it in a future cooked recipe. Celery should not be kept at room temperature for too long since, because of its high water content, it has a tendency to wilt quickly

Health benefits

" Celery leaves contains more nutrients than the stalks.
" It is rich in vitamin C and A. It is valuable in treating Anaemia, Leukaemia because of its high iron and magnesium content
" Celery leaves are often used as herbal tea for upset stomachs and for diuretic problems. Used in the same manner, but in boiled milk sweetened with honey.
" The sodium content of celery tends to prevent and relieve the arthritic joint.
" Effective remedy for Indigestion and Insomnia.
" Celery leaves are stimulant and tonic, hence beneficial for Asthma, T.B, and Bronchitis.


http://whfoods.org/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=14 - This site talks about celery in general and has some good information.


Celery Leaves: Cook or Discard them? - http://www.green-talk.com/2010/09/24/celery-leaves-cook-or-discard-them/?nomobile=1