Celery

From soups to salads, there are plenty of ways to use celery and I reckon it’s only a matter of time before this vegetable makes its way back onto menus. To get the most out of celery, as I’ve said, you do need to seek out leafy heads, as the leaves have as much to offer as the stalks in my view. Of course the stalks add flavour to all kinds of soups, stews and other cooked dishes, and they are delicious pickled in cider vinegar to serve as an accompaniment to pâtés, cold meat and fish.

The leaves are great in salads and you can also use them to make your own celery salt, which is far superior to any you can buy. Simply chop the leaves from a head of celery, scatter them on a large baking tray and dry in the oven on its lowest setting for around 8 hours until crisp (don’t let them brown). Once dry, whiz in a blender with a handful of sea salt flakes to a powder. Store in a screw-topped jar.