Two Vegetable Recipes - Leek - Celery

Here follow two vegetable recipes, also suitable for vegetarians or vegans. We make them for Passover, but they are good anytime.

I have learned both of them from Turkish Jews, though they are probably found in Greece as well.

The first is Apio - Sweet and Sour Celery. I make it with celeriac (celery root), but you can make it with a bunch of stalk celery too. It's a good way to make celery aside from serving it raw. Save the celery leaves for soup or matzoh balls. It doubles pretty easily.

Apio


1 large celery root, or two smaller ones
4 carrots
4-5 tblsp olive oil - or other veg oil
3 tblsp fresh lemon juice
Zest of one lemon (if desired)
1/2 c. water
1 tblsp soup mix or 2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tblsp sugar (I suppose you could use splenda).

Wash and slice the celery root into roughly 1/4" - 1 cm slices. Unless you enjoy cut fingers, don't peel them before you slice the root. Scrape and slice the carrots, slightly on an angle, to look nice.

Put all the ingredients except the salt or soup mix in a heavy sauce pan. Add 1/2 c (about 1 1/4 dl) water, and cover. Cook on low heat for 30 minutes or until tender.

Remove the vegetables and pour the thickened sauce over them. If the sauce is too
thick, thin with water. If it is too thin, cook uncovered without the vegetables, but be carful not to let it burn.

Serve hot as a side dish or at room temperature/cold as a side or appetizer.

Garnish with dill if desired.

I have no idea what this is called in Turkish or Ladino.

Braised Turkish Leeks

6 medium-sized leeks
1 med onion, sliced
1/2 cup olive oil
2 tblsp tomato paste
1 -2 tblsp sugar
1/2 cup water or vegetable stock
Juice of 1/2 lemon - more if desired
Zest of half lemon, if desired
1/4 - 1/3 cup finely chopped flat leaf parsley
1/2 tsp chopped fresh dill
Salt
Freshly ground black or white pepper
Lemon slices to garnish

Remove outer leaves from leeks and trim roots even with base. Cut off most of the green tops and save for soup. Halve lengthwise and wash well to remove ALL soil and sand. Fry onion in oil until transparent. Add tomato paste, thinned with the water or stock, half of the parsley, sugar, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer 10 minutes. Add leeks and lemon juice, spooning liquid over the leeks. Simmer covered 15-20 minutes. Remove to glass serving dish - because it looks quite pretty - garnish with parsley, dill and lemon slices, if desired. May be served warm or cold.