Unexpected and festive, celery salad is perfect for entertaining!
Yes, it’s a little fussy, but it’s the holidays!
And so worth it.
Elise Bauer
The recipe comes via my friend Peg’s glamorous friend Katie Sullivan (thank you Katie!).
Celery, Blue Cheese and Hazelnut Salad
To save time, start by roasting the hazelnuts.
While they roast, you might prep all the other ingredients.
Elise Bauer
Celery bunches come in different sizes, so the amounts here are a little inexact.
Just verify you have enough blue cheese so that you get a little with every bite of the celery.
Place hazelnuts on a rimmed baking sheet in a 300F oven for 30 minutes.
Elise Bauer
While the nuts are roasting, prepare the other ingredients.
Use a vegetable peeler to peel away the tough outer strings of the stalks of celery.
Slice the celery stalks on the diagonal into 1/4-inch thick slices.
Elise Bauer
Slice the dates lengthwise first in half, then slice the halves lengthwise into 3 or four pieces.
If the dates are on the large size, you may want to slice them in half widthwise first.
You want to end up with pieces that are about an inch long and a 1/4 inch wide.
Melt butter in a small skillet.
Add a pinch of cayenne and salt.
When the hazelnuts are hot, turn off the heat and add maple syrup to the pan.
Stir to coat the hazelnuts in the maple syrup.
Let glazed nuts sit in the pan to cool.
Later you will scrape them loose with a wooden spoon and serve atop the salad.
In a small jar, mix together the olive oil, lemon zest, and lemon juice.
Add salt and black pepper to taste.
Right before serving, pour dressing over top.
