Health celery a super-vegetable

Celery - the underrated vegetables: fine spice from the Mediterranean

Cauliflower is a Mediterranean vegetable that only occasionally hits the plate in German kitchens. That's a pity, because their fine spiciness can enrich many dishes such as soups, sauces and pasta. The sticks are gratinated with a delicious main course, steamed with a side dish to poultry and fish.

Cauliflower also cuts a fine figure, for example as a party snack for dipping with a spicy Roquefort cream. In addition, the sticks in a salad harmonize very well with apples and other fruits. Celery stimulates digestion and supplies the body with minerals such as potassium, sodium, magnesium and calcium, as well as vitamin E, provitamin A and essential oils. The vegetables have hardly any calories due to the high water content.

Celery, also known as celery, belongs to the family of the umbelliferae. It comes from the wild celery, which is native to the Mediterranean coast. It forms in contrast to the more popular celeriac only small root tubers, but fleshy petioles with small leaves at the ends. The different varieties are colored differently, from light to golden yellow and green and all have the typical celery aroma. The green variety is very common on the market and convinces with its mild, unobtrusive taste.

The vegetables are easy and quick to prepare: cut off the roots and clean the bars under running water. Who wants to enjoy the celery raw, reaches for the fine, inner bars. The outer stems may be a bit fibrous, but do not necessarily have to be peeled. It is best to pull the strings off with a knife, similar to rhubarb. Finally, cut the stems into pieces, slices or fine cubes according to the recipe. The delicate leaves are too good for the barrel. Finely chopped, they are a pleasant spice for soups and sauces.

In summer, celery is available from local outdoor growing. A sign of freshness are crisp, solid sticks that are not too pliable and free from stains and putrid areas. The vegetables can be stored for up to two weeks in a foil bag in the fridge. Heike Kreutz, bzfe.de