what to do with leftover celery

Though I like the flavor in small amounts, celery’s not such a common ingredient in our household. It’s more of a soup flavoring for me. Whether I bought too much or it was sold in a pack of several stalks, I always have some left over. I try not to waste food, so freezing them is the logical thing to do, besides snacking on them (I don’t much care for raw celery though).

What you’ll need: 

Celery, roughly chopped into 1 to 1 ½ inch pieces
Plastic bags that seal tight
A bowl of ice water

Bring a salted pot of water to a hard boil.
Throw in the celery chunks and cook for about a minute (you don’t want them to get too soggy or lose flavor).
Immediately place in a bowl of ice water and let cool down for a few minutes.
Strain.
Put about a handful or two (I used about a heaping handful and a half) in individual plastic bags.You can use specific measurements, if that's more your thing. I like to eyeball it.
Freeze and use as needed.

Once blanched and frozen, the celery will no longer be crunchy. At this point, it’s best to use for soups and stocks. It will keep for several months to a year.

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BUT, if you absolutely insist on using up your celery right away, here are some very delicious-looking recipes to try:

• Braised hearts of celery vinaigrette
• Puree of celery soup
• Braised celery (à la Alton Brown, whose tips I follow as gospel)
• Italian mushroom and celery salad