Have you had trouble finding any particular groceries during this pandemic? All-purpose flour is about as prized as toilet paper in my town, but my husband found some self-rising flour that has served us just fine. Like all the other wannabe Martha Stewarts out there, I've been reading about old-fashioned bread baking and am eager to make a sourdough starter. Alas, I cannot find the whole wheat flour it requires, but it's on my list for whenever I next spot a bag of it. The missing item that gave me most pause, though, was celery. When Alex came home from Publix one day last month and said they were out of celery, I couldn't believe it. Celery?
Celery? I *need* celery to make some of the soups I enjoy, not to mention the most beloved tea sandwich spread of all time—chicken salad. (This week, we have celery once again, so I was able to use up some extra chicken and turn it into a dill chicken salad for lunch.)
But that got me to thinking, what if there's a celery shortage one day? Can I grow my own celery? And then I remembered being in a garden club years ago with a woman who could have rooted a popsicle stick and made it grow. She said she didn't throw away her celery root when she was done with the ribs but simply planted the root. So I'm not sure I should have done it this way, but I plopped my celery root in a pot of the only soil I've got lying about and, well,
something is coming up in the middle. What do you think? Is there hope?
Fortunately, I came across a new book at just the right time:
Regrow Your Veggies by Melissa Raupach and Felix Lill. I've already learned that I should have started the celery in a jar of water first (next time!), and thanks to this book, I didn't throw away my last onion root but plopped it into some dirt as well. I've heard that just as we had victory gardens after World War II, many of us as a result of this pandemic will be starting home gardens after seeing the very practical value of growing some of our own food. Have any of you rooted onions or celery before? All tips are welcome!
(Review copy courtesy of NetGalley)
yeast. can't get it right now.
ReplyDeleteYes, dry active yeast is the one thing I can't get now that I would really like to have. I have only two packets left--I'll probably use those to make my favorite Finnish sweet bread "pulla." I do have sourdough starter, which I continue to feed, and have made some great crumpets with it. Good luck with your celery, Angela! But that is one vegetable that I positively detest, so I have never bought or grown any in my life. To each her own!
ReplyDeleteAnother suggestion about celery. Years ago, before refrigeration was available for shipping vegetables, most country gardens had a Loveage plant. Loveage is a perennial herb that tastes exactly like celery. I pick some leaves, chop them up and use then in place of celery. When growing it, you do have to remember to put your plant somewhere in a corner of the garden as it gets TALL (around 5 feet!) and does take up a bit of space. Years ago, they also used the hollow stems as straws for drinks.
ReplyDeleteIf you were a little closer I would give you some of my sourdough starter. I’ve had it for 20 years.
ReplyDeleteThe grocery shortages have been puzzling to me. Hopefully they are about over.
I am thinking about doing this with green onions. Yes, I almost couldn't find celery either, now have a small amount.
ReplyDelete