You’ve probably guessed what I’m talking about already. Maybe. If not, what do celery and grapes have in common? They are instant snacks. Pretty much wash and go. Celery usually needs a little trimming on the bottom, but apart from that (and a shower), this is one of those ready to eat staples. Add a little peanut butter or, if you really want to go to town, yogurt dip, and you’re talking snack fest!
Look for heads of celery that are glossy and firm with a minimum of brown scars or damage to the stems. If you have the option, choose heads with leaves attached (when we get into soups later in the season you’ll be glad of them). Store lightly wrapped in a damp cloth inside a container or plastic bag with holes (loosely closed).
If you are not crazy about the fibrous strands along a celery rib (which is what you call one of the pieces from the stalk), you can easily strip them away. Once you’ve trimmed the rib, simply take a paring knife and you will feel the raised bits along the cut edge. Grabbing them with your knife and thumb, you can pull the strands away.
Speaking of which, celery is a terrific source of dietary fiber and potassium along with some Vitamin C and B6 thrown in for good measure.
Other fun stuff? Birds, guinea pigs, horses, squirrels, small rodents and even dogs love celery (Pip agrees). If you want to know about celery in history (and who doesn’t?) check out the page in Wikipedia. Garlands of celery leaves were found in the tomb of Tutankhamun. In Homer’s Iliad, horses graze on wild celery and it’s mentioned in the Odyssey as having been outside the cave of Calypso (a sea goddess who was crazy about Odysseus. He must have eaten celery sometime during the seven years that she kept him hostage… grapes too for that matter).
So there you have it! An instant snack for your favorite dog, rodent, goddess, hero or even yourself!
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