Name: Celery Salad with Dates, Almonds and Parmesan
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 8 long celery stalks, leaves separated and reserved, tough fibers peeled off with a vegetable peeler, sliced on an angle into ¼-inch thick pieces; ½ cup raw almonds; 4 Medjool dates, pitted and roughly chopped; 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (from about 1 ½ lemons); ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes; Sea salt, to taste; Freshly ground black pepper, to taste; 2 ounces Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese (I used Parmesan*), shaved into shards with a vegetable peeler (to yield about ⅓ cup); ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

Ingredients

4 serv.

8 long celery stalks, leaves separated and reserved, tough fibers peeled off with a vegetable peeler, sliced on an angle into ¼-inch thick pieces
½ cup raw almonds
4 Medjool dates, pitted and roughly chopped
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (from about 1 ½ lemons)
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
Sea salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 ounces Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese (I used Parmesan*), shaved into shards with a vegetable peeler (to yield about ⅓ cup)
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

Instructions

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1 Place the celery in a bowl of ice water and soak for about 20 minutes to heighten the crispness. Drain the celery and pat it dry with a tea towel, then pile the celery into a medium serving bowl.
2 To toast the almonds, warm them in a medium skillet over medium heat, stirring often, until fragrant and toasted, about 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board and chop with a chef’s knife.
3 To the bowl of drained celery, add the celery leaves, chopped almonds, dates, lemon juice, and red pepper flakes. Season generously with salt (I started with ¼ teaspoon) and pepper, and toss to combine. Add the cheese and olive oil and toss gently. Taste and add more salt, pepper and/or red pepper flakes until you reach an irresistible balance of salty, spicy, tart and sweet.
4 Serve at room temperature or chilled. This salad keeps well, covered and chilled, for about 3 days (before serving, toss again and pour off some of the excess liquid).