March is National Celery Month
Who knew? March is National Celery Month! And, here’s another surprising factoid, Road Trips Foodies: Michigan was the birthplace of the nation’s celery industry! According to the Michigan Celery Promotion Cooperative, Dutch farmers in the Kalamazoo area began growing and marketing celery in the 1850’s as a curiosity and a food delicacy. (The swampy area was perfect for growing celery.) In the early decades of the 20th Century, Kalamazoo County was known as the Celery Capital of the World! There is a historical marker in Kalamazoo recognizing these pioneer farmers.
In nearby Portage, Michigan, at 7335 Garden Lane, the Celery Flats Interpretive Center provides the history of growing, harvesting and shipping celery. It’s open weekends June 4, 2010 through August 29, 2010.
Here’s one of the cooperative’s recipes using celery:
Celery and Almond Soup
* 1 large leek
* 1 bunch Michigan celery, quartered
* 1 large carrot, scraped & quartered
* 1 large onion, quartered
* 2 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted
* 4 cups canned diluted chicken broth
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 3 sprigs fresh parsley
* 1 sprig fresh thyme
* 1 bay leaf
* 2 cups half-and-half
* ¼ cup ground, blanched almonds
Remove and discard root, tough outer leaves, and tops of leeks to where the dark green begins to pale. Chop leeks. Position knife blade in food processor bowl.Add leek, celery, carrot, onion – process until coarsely chopped. Sauté chopped vegetables in butter in a Dutch oven until tender. Add broth and salt, and stir well.
Place parsley, thyme and bay leaf on a piece of cheesecloth securely. Add to celery mixture in Dutch oven. Bring to boil; reduce heat, and simmer (uncovered) 1 hour. Remove and discard cheesecloth bag. Transfer celery mixture to processor bowl, and process until smooth. Let cool slightly. Add half-and-half and almonds, stirring well to combine.
Ladle into individual soup bowls. Garnish if desired with toasted sliced natural almonds and whipped cream. Yield: 6 cups