A tasty winter salad that will be perfect as an accompaniment to a roast, and will also be a nice way to start things off. To serve 4 you'll need:
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Ingredients:
- A bunch of white celery
- 2 artichokes
- 1/4 pound (100 g) leafy salad of choice, washed and shredded
- Half an apple, peeled, cored and sliced thinly
- 1/4 pound Tuscan moderately aged pecorino, thinly sliced (see note)
- 4 walnuts, copped
- The juice of half a lemon
- 2 tablespoons apple vinegar
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
Preparation:
Fill a bowl and acidulate it with the lemon juice. Clean the artichokes, removing the tough outer leaves and stems. Cut the hearts in half, scoop out whatever fuzz you find, sliver the hearts from top to bottom, and put them in the water to keep them from discoloring.
You'll need the tender inner stalks and leaves of the celery. Strip the leaves and set them aside. Make matchsticks of the stalks.
Arrange the salad on four plates. Drain the artichokes well, put some over the salad on each of the plates, together with the celery stalks, apples, and the cheese.
Whir the celery leaves in a blender with the olive oil and the vinegar, and season the dressing with a pinch of salt and pepper to taste. Season the salad, sprinkle the walnuts over all, and serve.
Note: Pecorino toscano is milder and much less salty than pecorino romano (what's known as Romano in the English-speaking world). In pecorino toscano's absence I would use a little pecorino romano, and probably combine it with either jack cheese or perhaps a mild cheddar.
You'll need the tender inner stalks and leaves of the celery. Strip the leaves and set them aside. Make matchsticks of the stalks.
Arrange the salad on four plates. Drain the artichokes well, put some over the salad on each of the plates, together with the celery stalks, apples, and the cheese.
Whir the celery leaves in a blender with the olive oil and the vinegar, and season the dressing with a pinch of salt and pepper to taste. Season the salad, sprinkle the walnuts over all, and serve.
Note: Pecorino toscano is milder and much less salty than pecorino romano (what's known as Romano in the English-speaking world). In pecorino toscano's absence I would use a little pecorino romano, and probably combine it with either jack cheese or perhaps a mild cheddar.
