Celery was a vegetable I used to avoid but it’s becoming a favourite, especially with tomatoes.
An Asian stir-fry of celery, asparagus, onion and tomatoes.
Finely dice 2-3 cloves of garlic and a similar amount of fresh ginger. Slice a few sticks of celery into diagonal slices, trim and slice a bunch of asparagus into shorter lengths and cut 2-3 tomatoes and an onion into thin wedges. When you’re ready to cook, heat a wok until very hot and add some peanut or other vegetable oil. Fry the garlic and ginger for only a few seconds and immediately add the celery and asparagus. Make sure to stir everything continuously as this ensures that everything cooks evenly. After 2-3 minutes, add the onion for 1 minute and then the tomato. When the tomato begins to soften add 1-2 tablespoons of oyster sauce, a teaspoon of sesame oil and some ground white pepper. To make this stir-fry a little spicier add some Sriracha chilli sauce as well.
This Italian method for cooking celery makes a perfect side dish.
Place 1-2 cans of chopped tomatoes in a shallow saucepan with a few cloves of crushed garlic and a generous lug of olive oil. Cover and cook over low to medium heat for approximately 20 minutes. This will sweeten the tomatoes and should thicken them a little. Add chopped celery and fresh parsley. Season to taste and cook for 15-20 minutes more or until the celery is to your liking.
michelle picker cooks 