Apium graveolens is a tasty plant commonly known as celery, or celeriac, depending which part of the plant is being eaten. We often eat the roots, or celeriac. We love it mashed with cream and herbs, it makes a fantastic gratin and as a soup, it's just lovely. (I make a mean Celeriac, Apple and Stilton soup that is to die for!)

The seeds are wonderful in salads. I always like to add a few to my coleslaw and they are fabulous in a vinaigrette dressing.

Dieters love celery, as it is relatively low in calories, being mostly water. It's when you add the cheese or the peanut butter topping that it ceases to be real diet food. I think because it is normally eaten by dieters that it gets a bit of a bad rap, not to mention it's also really hard to eat quietly.



I can't imagine making a soup or stew without adding at least a few chopped stalks. It adds a lovely flavour in my opinion. And a tuna fish or chicken salad sandwich just wouldn't be that good without chopped celery added in my opinion!



Today I'd like to show you a rather unique and unsual way of using it. These scone like whirls are quite, quite tasty . . .

It goes without saying that wrapping this crunchy vegetable in scone dough, rather takes away from it's fat busting qualities . . . but what the heck!



*Cheese and Celery Whirls*
Makes 10
Printable Recipe

Very pretty with a lovely green celery swirl in the centre. They make an excellent accompaniment to a soup meal and are wonderful as a tea-time savoury. Wonderfully light and very tasty!

340g self rising flour (2 1/3cup)
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp dry English mustard powder
56g butter, softened (1/4 cup)
115g mature cheddar cheese, grated (1 cup)
1 clove of garlic, peeled and minced
1 large free range egg, beaten
5 fluid ounces milk
3 to 4 stick of celery, trimmed and coarsely chopped



Pre-heat the oven to 220*C/425*F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

Whisk together the flour, salt and mustard powder in a bowl. Rub in the butter with your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add most of the grated cheese, reserving a small amount for sprinkling on top before baking. Mix together the egg, milk and garlic and then stir this into the flour mixture, mixing in well until everything is well mixed together. Turn out onto a lightly floured board and knead lightly. Pat or roll out into a 12 by 9 inch rectangle. Scatter the celery over the surface. Roll up like a Swiss Roll, starting at the narrow end. Cut into 1/2 inch slices. Place flat side down on the baking tray. Sprinkle each with some of the reserved cheese. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until golden brown and well risen. Remove from the oven and serve warm.

Note - I'm not sure why this happens but from time to time the flour doesn't seem to absorb as much of the liquid as it should. This could be down to the brand of flour used, the humidity etc. IN any case, only add as much of the liquid ingredients to the flour mixture as will give you the consistency of a soft dough. Sometimes you may need more of it than at other times.

I love fennel. It's one of my favourite vegetables. I am a real licorice lover and so I love it's mild licorice taste. It's wonderful braised and roasted, but my favourite way to eat it is raw.

There are two types of fennel. One is grown for it's seeds, which are delicious in sauces, and the other is grown for use as a vegetable, the most common type being Florence Fennel, which has a bulbous base, stalks which closely resemble celery and feathery fronds on top.



Did you know that there are male and female bulbs? The males are taller and more slender with the females being shorter and more bulbous. I like the females myself. Crisp and slightly sweet, fennel is wonderful served raw in salads, and meltingly mellow and soft when braised, roasted or grilled. It goes wonderfully with other crisp vegetables and is most delicious with fish. A whole salmon stuffed with fennel and roasted is absolutely wonderful.



The bulbs should be heavy and white, firm and free of cracks, browning, or moist areas. The stalks should be crisp, with feathery, bright-green fronds. You can keep fennel for a few days in the refrigerator wrapped in plastic, but try not to keep it more than a day or two because the flavor diminishes as it dries out.
I made a delicious slaw yesterday with some fennel that I picked up at the local green grocers at the weekend. I think I'll have the rest of it for my lunch today. This was really good.


*Carrot and Fennel Slaw*
Serves 6
Printable Recipe

This delicious slaw makes a light and refreshing change from regular coleslaw. I use my mandolin to slice the fennel and my box grater to do the carrots. But you could use the slicing and grating discs in a food processor as well, which would make really quick work of it. I love the mustard in the dressing. It adds a lovely bite to it. Adjust accordingly if you don't like things with a bite. Make the dressing first so that the flavours have time to really develop.

1 small to medium sized fennel bulb
3 cups peeled, shredded carrots (about 4 to 5 large carrots)
1/2 cup of minced red onion
1/2 cup chopped fresh coriander (cilantro)
DRESSING:
5 TBS fresh orange juice
1 TBS of White Balsamic Vinegar
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
1 to 1 1/2 tsp dry mustard powder
2 TBS really good quality extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp sea salt



Place all the dressing ingredients into a glass jar with a lid, and give it a good shake. Set aside.

Remove the top greens and stalks from the fennel bulb. Save the feathery greens for the slaw. Trim off any bruised or tough pieces. Quarter the bulb and then cut out the core. Shred half of it using a grater, mandolin or food processor. Reserve the other half for another use. You should have about 1 cup of grated vegetable. Place it into a medium sized bowl, along with the carrot, onion, chopped fennel leaves and coriander. Toss together to mix. Just before serving, give the dressing a good shake and pour it over the slaw. Mix well and serve.