Celery leaves make a delicious seasoning for soups, chowders, and vegetable dishes. You can use them fresh or dried. (Drying concentrates the flavor.) Celery leaves contain calcium, vitamin E, magnesium, and iodine.

To dry the leaves in the oven, strip from the stalks, rinse and pat dry, and spread on a cookie sheet. Use your pilot light only; for electric ovens, turn to lowest setting, watch carefully. You can also dry in the microwave, on a paper towel, in 30-second intervals. Pulverize the dried leaves and store them in a closed container or  mix with salt for homemade celery salt.

Here’s a simple but delicious soup seasoning featuring dried celery leaves:

1 tsp. peppercorns
2 tsp. dried basil
3 tsp. dried thyme
6 tsp. marjoram
6 tsp dried parsley
1 Tblsp. dried summer savory
4 Tblsp. dried celery leaves
6 bay leaves

Mix together and divide among 6 cheesecloth bags, with one bay leaf per bag. Add a bag to a pot of your favorite homemade vegetable soup.