Celery is one of my favorite things to snack on, as boring as it may seem to others. I always have some in the fridge.
It’s the same with dates (and just about every kind of nut). When you’re hungry, they’re quick and tasty and actually good for you, unlike other things that are quick and tasty.
But I never really thought about putting them all together. And then I happened upon this travel show about Turkey and it caught my attention.
This is a really good salad, very simple and one of the few non-leafy salads that I now enjoy. The dates make it a little sweet but it’s crunchy and refreshing. Use it as a meal or a side.
INGREDIENTS
10 Stalks of Celery
½ cup Walnuts or Pecans, coarsely chopped
6 Medjool* Dates, pitted
½ cup (or more)Bleu Cheese**, crumbled
1 Shallot, sliced thin
Juice from 1 Lemon
1 Tablespoon White Wine Vinegar
¼ cup Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
Kosher Salt
Fresh Cracked Black Pepper
Red Pepper Flakes - if you want a little heat. I did not.
METHOD
Preheat oven to 350.
Spread out walnuts on a small rimmed baking sheet; toast, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, 8–10 minutes. Let cool; coarsely chop.
Slice the dates into 6-8 pieces as shown in the photo on the bottom of the page. You could just rough chop them, but it’s easier to eat if they’re roughly the same size/shape as the celery.
Slice the stalks thinly on a bias and roughly chop the leaves.
If your celery is a little wilted, place it in a bowl of ice water to heighten the crispiness, then drain on a paper towel before continuing.
Place sliced celery stalks and leaves in a medium sized bowl.
Add the sliced shallot, chopped nuts, dates, cheese, lemon juice, white wine vinegar, olive oil, and optional red pepper flakes.
Season generously with salt and pepper, and toss to combine.
Top with a little crumbled cheese.
If you are making this salad ahead, store everything, especially the wet ingredients, separately.
* I love every variety of dates, but Medjools are the most common - known as the “king of dates,” they are large, plump, and have a syrupy, maple-like flavor and texture.
If you’re not a bleu cheese lover or you happen to have some feta laying around, that would work just as well.
Try an off-dry German Reisling if you’re serving this as a meal.
Or, if you’re like 50% of everyone I know right now, serve it up with some NyQuil or a sparkling AlkaSeltzer Cold. Hang in there - Spring is coming.
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