If you ever wondered how to make celery salt, read on: it’s superbly thrifty and simple

I came across homemade celery salt by accident. As part of my ongoing mission to use up every part of any vegetable, I dehydrated some celeriac leaves to use as a garnish for a savoury cheese and mushroom porridge (see next week’s column), and was astounded by their rich, umami flavour. It was then that I realised they could be ground with sea salt to make that old kitchen staple, celery salt. Celery salt can be used to replace regular table salt and as a flavour enhancer for just about any savoury dish, from soup to salad; it’s also delicious as a seasoning for meat or fish and, of course, makes a sublimely savoury bloody mary.