Our Fave September Produce and What To Do With It

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Celery

Celery is probably one of the least popular ingredients on this list, due to its unpleasantly stringy texture and bitter flavor—and yet it's an essential ingredient for several base preparations of many dishes, including the French mirepoix (2 parts onion, 1 part carrots, 1 part celery) and sofrito (made with garlic, onions, peppers and tomatoes). It's also wonderfully versatile and adds both crunch and subtle flavor to raw and cooked dishes. If you don't enjoy its raw taste, then opt to cook it instead, when it takes on a whole new fragrant identity.

Cooking ideas: raw as a snack with almond or peanut butter or added to veggie trays; chopped raw for salads; cooked into stir fries; finely chopped and used as a base in soups, stews and sauces; baked into gratins; braised in the oven with butter and thyme; juiced and added to cocktails or on its own; served raw in cocktails (Bloody Mary).

Try our recipe: Chicken salad with celery and relish