Everyone knows to buy celery–it’s a crisper drawer tradition.  But after using half the bunch in a recipe, possibly a bit for a snack, we allow the remainder to languish in the fridge, stalks turning to rubber and drooping toward trash. The following recipes are all based on a 1/2 bunch of celery, a common [...]

CREAMY BRAISED CELERY Braised celery is a perfect foil to the vegetable’s diet-right reputation. This dish gives grains a natural home, or turns with little extra effort into a phenomenal soup. Yield: 2 servings 1/2 bunch celery (about 12 ounces) trimmed of leaves and tough ends 1/4 cup dry, crisp white wine 1/4 cup water [...]

FRESH CELERY SALSA I’m guessing this salsa can support fiery peppers, too. I like it on a plate, next to avocado and pork. yield: 2 cups 2 cups (8 ounces) rough-chopped celery (about 1/2 bunch) 1/2 shallot, quartered 1/2 large garlic clove, chopped 1 1/2 cups chopped Mutsu apples (peel on), about 1 small apple [...]

CELERY AND WATERMELON RADISH SLAW This slaw puts your knife skills into practice. With a julienne cut, the vegetables marinate quickly, but keep crisp . Yield: 4 servings 1/2 bunch celery (about 12 ounces) 1/2 large Watermelon Radish 2 teaspoons capers, finely chopped 8 anchovy fillets, chopped 2 teaspoons whole grain mustard 2 tablespoons white [...]

Both drinks rely on either a great, light, store-bought ginger beer, or homemade ginger syrup and seltzer. Instructions for each, follow. GINGERED CELERY SODA Yield: 2 drinks 2 1/2 cups chopped celery (about 1/2 bunch) 11 ounces ginger beer* 3/4 teaspoon lemon juice, and more to taste 1 pinch salt 4 basil leaves 8 mint [...]

Introducing a new series from “2 minutes to dinner,” called Might As Well. This column, a cousin to “Otherwise, Trash,” designs ways to use partial quantities of ingredients that typically go to waste. “Might As Well” is an homage to my dad, who used to say of home repairs, “If you’re going to fix the [...]

Buttermilk Poached Hailbut, Buttermilk Aioli While the flavors of this dish–coriander, mushrooms, buttermilk–work deliciously together, the fish alone is worth the effort. The Buttermilk Aioli (an optional addition) is fantastic and if you like to have aioli around for other uses (as I do), consider employing it here. If not, the fish and mushrooms in [...]

The Amaro Sour Here, the “sour” comes not from a cocktail mixer, but from buttermilk. The drink is like a grown up White Russian. Yield: 1 generous, or 2 modest cocktails ½ cup Amaro Liqueur* 1 tablespoon dark brown sugar ¾ cup buttermilk dash of vanilla extract Ice cinnamon stick (optional) For the syrup: In [...]

Buttermilk Pralines This is an old Helen Corbitt recipe that I learned from my good friend and mentor, Jane Lilly. Jane was the chef and owner of Lilly & Company, a cafe and catering company in Austin, Texas where I worked toward my tail end of graduate school. Lilly & Company closed in 1998, employing, [...]

Bacon Buttermilk Dressing I can think of many uses for this dressing, but an obvious one is poured over a plate of fresh spinach, tomatoes, and scallions. Break up the bacon and toss that in, too. Yield: 1/2 cup 6 slices thick-cut bacon 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar 1 teaspoon honey up to ½ cup [...]