Did you know celery’s high percentage of water and electrolytes can prevent dehydration, an important factor when performing any workout, sport, or activity that induces sweating. Some other surprising benefits of this tall skinny vegetable are: it lowers inflammation; helps prevent or treat high blood pressure; boosts digestion and reduces bloating; contains microbial properties that fight infections; and the list goes on.

In season now, Worden Farm, has an abundance of local, organic celery at the Saturday downtown Sarasota Farmers Market. You can also use those lush, aromatic leaves to liven up soup stock and add another layer of life to salad greens. Below is a recipe using celery leaves in an interesting way, to create an almond-based pate.

CELERY LEAF ALMOND PATE

• 1 cup almonds

• 2 cups celery leaves, lightly packed into cup

• ½ - 1 medium tomato coarsely chopped

• 1 scallion, coarsely chopped

• 1 tablespoon lemon juice, or more to taste

• 1 tablespoon tamari, or to taste

• 1-2 cloves, garlic, coarsely chopped

1. Soak the almonds overnight, or at least for 4 hours.

2. Place the almonds in a food processor with the remaining

ingredients, using about ½ of the tomato, and blend until pâté is a

spreadable consistency, adding a more tomato if it is too dry, and more

almonds if it is too wet.

3. To serve, spread over bread or crackers.

For a nice hors d’oeuvre, spread over crackers, or thinly sliced white

turnips and top with some minced parsley and a sliver of cherry

tomato, or roll up in a lettuce leaf and secure with a toothpick.

Recipe provided by Vicki Chelf