Celery Scallion Relish Recipes

SCALLION AND CELERY QUICHE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Heat oil in a medium skillet over medium heat and add scallions and celery. Cook, stirring, until celery is just tender, about 5 minutes. Add a generous pinch of salt, the garlic and thyme, and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the parsley. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove from heat.
• Beat together egg yolks and eggs in a medium bowl. Set tart pan on a baking sheet to allow for easy handling. Using a pastry brush, lightly brush bottom of the crust with some of the beaten egg and place in oven for 5 minutes.
• Add salt (I use 1/2 teaspoon), pepper, and milk to remaining eggs and whisk together.
• Spread scallion and celery mixture in an even layer in the crust. Stir together cheeses and sprinkle evenly on top. Very slowly pour the egg custard over the filling. If your tart pan has low edges, you may not need all of it to fill the shell, and you want to avoid the custard spilling over. Place quiche, on baking sheet, in the oven and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until set and just beginning to color on the top. Remove from oven and allow to sit for at least 10 minutes before serving. Serve hot, warm or at room temperature.

PICKLED CELERY RELISH

Steps:

• Trim the skinny tops and dark green leaves from the celery and discard or save them for soup. Save a handful of tender, light green leaves from the heart. Slice the ribs about 1/8-inch thick on an angle. Put the celery pieces and light green leaves in a large nonreactive bowl.
• In a medium saucepan, bring the vinegar, 1 cup water, the sugar, salt, ginger and chile to a boil, stirring once or twice. Pour over the celery. Transfer to a mason jar or any sealable container, using a spoon or fork to press the celery into the liquid. Cover and refrigerate (it's okay if the mixture is still slightly warm) at least overnight before eating (the pickles will keep, refrigerated, for up to 1 month).

CARROT RELISH

Steps:

• Remove the zest from 1 orange and 1 lemon in strips using a vegetable peeler; thinly slice the strips. Bring the zest, the juice from the orange and lemon, 5 cups grated carrots, 3/4 cup sugar, 3/4 cup cider vinegar, 1 1/2 cups water and 1 1/2 teaspoons each crushed coriander seeds, mustard seeds and salt to a simmer in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook until the liquid is syrupy, about 45 minutes.

CELERY RELISH

Steps:

• Mix all ingredients well in a large pot.
• Bring to the boiling point, reduce the heat, and simmer until thick, about 1 hour.
• Spoon into hot, sterilized jars, fill with the cooking liquid, leaving 1/8" headspace, and seal.
• If you wish, process in a boiling water bath 10 minutes.

CELERY RELISH

Steps:

• Put through food chopper (or chop fine) the cucumbers, onions, celery and cabbage; place in a large non-reactive container (ceramic, glass, stainless steel or enamel, not aluminum). Sprinkle with salt, and let stand overnight.
• Next day, drain and rinse to remove excess salt, and thoroughly drain again, pressing out as much water as possible.
• Have bottles washed and kept ready for use on a tray in a warm oven.
• In large stainless steel or enamel pot, combine 5 cups vinegar and the sugar, bring to a boiling point. Make a dressing of the flour, turmeric, 1 cup vinegar, celery seed, mustard seed, diced red and green peppers; add to vinegar mixture and stir well to combine. Add drained vegetables. Bring to a boil, and boil gently for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Ladle into hot jars, and process in boiling water for 10 minutes.

CELERY AND CUCUMBER RELISH

Steps:

• Mix all vegetables except the red and green peppers, and sprinkle with pickling salt. Let stand overnight. Drain.
• Combine sauce ingredients, cooking over medium-high heat. Add drained vegetables. Boil hard for 10 minutes, stirring often. Add peppers at the 8-minute mark.
• Put in sterile jars and seal.

CELERY VICTOR SALAD

Steps:

• Prepare the stock for the braised celery and scallions: In a large pot, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-low. Add the carrots and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the stock and bring to a boil over high. Once it comes to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the carrots are soft and impart their sweetness, about 30 minutes. Strain liquid, discarding solids, and return to the pot.
• While the stock simmers, make the pickled mustard seeds: In a small pot, combine the vinegar, mustard seeds, sugar, shallot and salt. Stir to combine, then cook over low heat, bubbling very gently, until mustard seeds are plump, about 15 minutes. Let cool until room temperature, then refrigerate until chilled. (Makes 1/2 cup; see Tip.)
• As the stock continues to simmer, make the anchovy-garlic paste: Finely chop the anchovies and capers, occasionally smashing and spreading them using the flat side of your knife, until they start to form a paste. In a small bowl, stir together the anchovies and capers with the garlic, red-pepper flakes and olive oil until combined. (Makes 1/4 cup.) Refrigerate until serving.
• Continue preparing the braised celery and scallions: Once the carrot stock has been cooked and strained, squeeze the lemon quarters over the carrot stock, then plop the squeezed pieces into the stock. Add the thyme, garlic, black peppercorns, bay leaves and salt. Bring to a simmer over medium.
• Once it simmers, cook the celery: Add the celery in two batches, one layer at time, simmering until tender, about 10 minutes per batch. (Cooked celery should bend a little, when lifted with tongs, without going totally limp.) Using tongs, transfer celery to a wide, shallow dish that can hold the celery, scallions and braising liquid.
• Cook the scallions in the stock: Add the firmer scallion whites and cook 2 minutes, then add the more tender scallion greens, and cook another 2 minutes, until all scallion pieces are tender. Add scallions to the cooked celery. Strain the stock over the scallions and celery, discarding the solids, and let the mixture cool at room temperature, about 30 minutes. Cover and refrigerate until chilled, at least 1 hour or, ideally, overnight. (The braised vegetables will continue to absorb flavor but retain texture; they'll keep, refrigerated, up to one week.)
• To serve, strain the braised vegetables. (Reserve the liquid to use as a stock; poach fish in it, add to soups, stews or pasta, or dip bread in it.) Slice the celery and scallions on a sharp angle into 1 1/2-inch-long segments, then add them to a very large bowl. Add the spigarello, Parmesan, parsley and reserved celery leaves, plus the anchovy paste and the sherry vinegar mixed with olive oil; toss to coat. The salad should have the right balance of salt, acid and heat, with no ingredient overshadowing the other. Season with extra vinegar or olive oil, if needed.
• Plate the salad, mounding in the center of the plate. Dot with 2 to 3 very small spoonfuls of mustard seeds, to taste, and serve immediately.