Quarantine-while! ~ For the love of celery!!

Celery is kinda like cilantro.  But, not quite.  With cilantro it seems - you love it - or you hate it.  With celery - you hate it - or you use it.  I like it.  No love for it raw.  But it's a great addition for flavor in soups and stews.  I mean, c'mon on!  It's an essential part of the holy trinity in Creole cuisine.  Anyhow, given the crazy times we are living THROUGH (Meaning - this too, shall PASS!!!) a few months ago I decided to try to regrow my own celery.  Look how cute!  (More on that later.)  And, we tried a new recipe...

Rather, B did!  Celery Tarts!  I warned him making individual tarts would be a pain in the A$$.  (And they were!)  But, he persisted..

Roll out your fav pie dough.  Cut into circles that will fit in the bottom of a muffin tin, along with matching circles for the tops.

After the 'bottom' is in place.  Fill with:  4-5 ounces chopped celery, 2 minced garlic cloves, 1 finely chopped small onion sautéed in 1/2 stick of butter and about - ehhh - 1/4 cup (I probably didn't use that much) olive oil - until soft and translucent.  Sprinkle 1 T flour over that mixture.  Cook for a couple of minutes, stirring to coat veggies with flour and make a roux.  Add 1/2 c milk.  Cooking until bubbly and thickened.  Season to taste with salt, pepper, and pinch of cayenne.

Use your best kitchen gadget - your fingers - to smear a bit of water round the edges of all your now stuffed pastry bottoms and waiting tops.  Place tops in position and pinch edges together with fingers or press with the tines of a fork to seal.  Poke tops with a fork to make steam escape holes.  Bake at 400 for 15 - 20 minutes.

Aren't they cute?  Cool in pan for around ten minutes.  Turn out and devour.  They are shockingly good!!!  Since B's delicate little making, I've used the same recipe in one, much easier, normal sized pie, as a side to a pork tenderloin.  It turned out great.  (Just give it a little more baking time.)  For B's meal we had them with seasoned black beans and fresh cukes.

As far as my agrarian attempts at celery rejuvenation...  Once planted outside, my celery thrived!!!!  Until it was eaten by a critter other than me.  Possum?  Raccoon?  Rabbit?  Who knows?  I guess it still served its purpose.  Anyhow, if you've got a bunch of celery you don't know what to do with, try out this Celery Pie!!!  Seriously, you won't even know it's celery!

Stay safe.   Stay home if you can.  Take care. ~ love, les