I’ve had a love affair with roasted Fennel lately, and tonight decided to go in a different direction. I look in my vegetable crisper finding ample supplies of eggplant, cauliflower, red onion, garlic and celery. Everything can be roasted and added to a salad, with the exception of the celery. Wait a minute, why not roast the celery as well? I’ve never done it before or even heard of it, but am going to try it tonight.
A quick google search on the Celery family reveals it is a member of the ‘Carrot Family’, and the ‘Parsley and Carrot Family’, and also the ‘Celery Family’, all of who are related to the ‘Fennel Family’. I conclude if you can roast a Fennel bulb, you can also roast Celery in a similar fashion.
Just to be sure, I keep it separate from the other well established roasting vegetables of Eggplant, Cauliflower, Garlic and Red Onion as I am experimenting here. The roasting tin is prepared with coconut oil, celery added with a sprinkle of Celtic Sea Salt and Black Pepper and cooked at the same time as the other veg. It works!
Roast Eggplant, Cauliflower, Celery and Red Onion Salad:
1 Eggplant, halved, skin on and scored crossways
1/2 Head of cauliflower, cut into chunks
1 Red Onion, quartered
2 Sticks Celery, cut into chunks
1/2 Leek, cut into chunks
3 Cloves Garlic, skin on
1/2 Lemon, chopped in half
1 Tbs Olive Oil
1 Tsp Sea Salt
Drizzle of Olive Oil
1) Heat oven to 200 Degrees C.
2) Rub all veg in oil, arrange in roasting pan, sprinkle salt and pepper. Put in oven.
3) Turn after ten minutes or so, and keep a watchful eye on veg, remove ones cooking quicker than others and keep in a separate bowl.
4) Get your salad leaves ready of rocket, spring onions, lemon.
Dressing:
Lemon Juice
Roasted lemon, diced finely
Roasted Garlic, including caramelised skin that has formed in the roasting process. Chop this up and add to lemon dressing.
Mix all this up and reserve for dressing over roasted veg when done.
Serve on a bed of rocket and whatever greens are on hand, squeeze lemon over top.
CLARE O'MEARA 
2 responses to “What About Celery?”
Welcome to the world of blogging Clare! I hope you find it as much fun as I do 🙂 This dish sounds great, what is roasted celery like?
Thanks for visiting the blog Lorraine, it’s early days but fun so far!
The roasted celery was delicious, the baked texture and flavour just melts in your mouth, you must try. I’ve just made a baked frittata with the leftovers and it’s also delicious.