Celery is one of those veggies that's mostly made of water. And it's an unpredictable vegetable. It can range from nearly flavorless in taste to just nasty in taste, and then somewhere in between. While it's actually rich in a variety of nutrients (such as vitamin A, vitamin B6, vitamin, C, vitamin K, folate, and potassium), you either like it or you don't.

I'm a celery-lover and never get tired of eating it with peanut butter or hummus. How about you-lover or hater?

Well, since it is so good for us (the fiber content is through the roof, it's good for the teeth, besides all the vitamins), we ought to look at how to jazz up its taste so it'll do more than sit in the crisper and go limp. Here are a few ideas from Elise Moreau, a researcher and writer for one of my favorite sites, www.care2.com:

First, throw it in your green smoothie. Green smoothies are the perfect solution to getting a huge load of veggies into your diet without feeling like you have to gorge on a massive salad. Since celery is great for weight loss, digestive health, and combatting inflammation, try it in a detoxifying green smoothie by blending two fresh stalks with an apple, a medium-sized cucumber, a few kale leaves, a large bunch of spinach, a large punch of fresh parsley or cilantro and one lemon.

Next, braise it for a healthy side dish to a main meal. Braising involves pan-searing the celery first before cooking it in liquid over low heat. When it's cooked, celery has a sweeter flavor than it does when it's raw. Just slice a few stalks in chunks, cook it over medium heat with some butter in a skillet until it's tender, then add half a cup of your broth of choice. Cover and let it simmer on low heat for about 5 minutes before serving with a dash or two of your favorite seasoning.

Or why not add some thin, curly pieces to a salad? It add nice color and texture to almost any salad. You could even use it in a healthy fruit salad. Slice an apple and a pear and then tossing them in a bowl with thinly sliced celery pieces, roughly chopped walnuts and celery leaves. A yummy dressing to top it would be 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, 2 teaspoons of honey, 4 tablespoons of olive oil, 3/4 cup of parmesan cheese, plus salt, and pepper to taste all whisked together.

Then there's soup. If you have a full head of celery that's close to going completely limp, there's no better way to save it than by making a creamy soup out of it. This terrific recipe from Erren's Kitchen (www.errenskitchen.com) is actually for a no-cream creamy celery soup, so even vegans can enjoy it.

NO CREAM CREAMY CELERY SOUP

1-2 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed

1 lb fresh celery, chopped

1 qt chicken or vegetable stock

1 large Russet potato, peeled and cut into quarters

1 large handful of fresh parsley (including stems), roughly chopped

Salt to taste

Pepper to taste

Cut celery into (roughly) same-sized pieces, about an inch - 1.5 inches, Don't worry about precision as the soup is going to be puréed anyway. You just want it to cook evenly.

In a large soup pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until soft. Add the garlic and cook another minute before adding the celery, stock potato and parsley. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring to a boil. Cover and lower the heat and simmer for about 20 minutes or until the celery and potatoes are soft enough that they can easily pureed (But don't let them get mushy).

Remove the soup from heat and remove enough stock so that the celery just covered by the remaining stock. Set the reserved stock aside.

Remove some of the chopped celery with a slotted spoon 91-2 spoonfuls) and set aside. Purée the soup with a stick blender in the pot (or in a blender if) adding the reserved stock little by little until the soup reaches the desired consistency. Add the reserved celery, mix to combine and serve hot.

Celery really doesn't have to be boring. It's quite a versatile vegetable that deserves a little more attention and respect. My rule of thumb: If the flavor is STRONG-into soups, stir fry, and salads it goes. If the flavor is mild, it'll go into my smoothies and be used as a dipper for peanut butter and humus. It's just too good to ignore!

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