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Recipe Detail Page
Celery Caesar-ish Salad
Spring 2022
The dressing here takes inspiration from the classic but is broken (and juicy!) instead of thick and creamy. Use the greener outer stalks of celery for this and save the more tender inner bits for our Bloody Mary Salad (recipe follows). A note about raw egg yolk: it’s totally fine if you leave it out on account of the very rare case of salmonella attributed to it, but if you trust your yolks (do you fry your eggs sunny side up?), then go for it.
Serves 4 to 6
DRESSING
1/3 cup (80 mL) extra virgin olive oil
3 tbsp (45 mL) lemon juice
5 oil-packed anchovy fillets, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated
Salt and coarsely ground black pepper
1/2 cup (125 mL) semi-pearled farro
4 very thin slices of sourdough
1/4 cup (60 mL) extra virgin olive oil
6 stalks celery
1/2 cup (125 mL) coarsely grated Parmesan
1 egg yolk
1. For the dressing, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, anchovies and garlic. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside.
2. Cook the farro in plenty of boiling, salted water for 20 to 22 minutes or until tender but still a little toothsome. Drain and let cool in a colander.
3. Meanwhile, brush the sourdough with olive oil and arrange it on a sheet pan. Bake in a 375°F (191°C) oven for 12 to 14 minutes, turning halfway through, until golden and crisp. Let cool.
4. Cut each celery stalk in half lengthwise, then thinly slice on the bias. Add to a salad bowl or platter along with the cooled farro. Add the dressing, toss and let stand for 10 minutes to soften the celery a bit.
5. When ready, crumble the sourdough overtop, aiming for a mix of larger bite-size pieces and smaller crumbs. Add the Parmesan, toss, and check seasoning, adding more salt if necessary. Top with the egg yolk. Break the yolk and toss again just before serving.
Serves 4 to 6
BLOODY MARY SALAD
We’re a long way from tomato season, but small local hothouse tomatoes can be pretty darn good. Ripe cocktail tomatoes and cherry tomatoes in a variety of colours are heaps more flavourful than the larger ones and have none of their sometimes mealy texture. Plan ahead to allow the dressed tomatoes to rest for a bit—time draws some of the juices from the tomatoes, which becomes part of the dressing. Tomatoes dressed in tomato juice!
1 clove garlic, peeled and halved
1 lb (455 g) cocktail tomatoes
2 shallots, thinly sliced
1/4 cup (60 mL) extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp (30 mL) lemon juice, plus extra as necessary
1 1/2 tsp (7 mL) red wine vinegar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
8 oz (225 g) cherry tomatoes, halved
4 stalks celery, thinly sliced
Handful celery leaves, torn if large
1 ripe avocado
2 tbsp (30 mL) Worcestershire sauce
Tabasco sauce to taste
1. Rub the cut surfaces of the garlic halves inside a large salad bowl. Discard the remnants.
2. Halve the cocktail tomatoes and, one by one, squeeze their seeds into the bowl. Drop the squished tomato halves into the bowl afterwards. Add the shallots, followed by the olive oil, lemon juice and vinegar. Season generously with salt and pepper, toss and let stand 30 minutes.
3. Add cherry tomatoes, celery and celery leaves to bowl. Pit and peel the avocado. Slice widthwise and sprinkle with a little lemon juice to keep slices green. Put those in the salad bowl, too, followed by the Worcestershire sauce and a dash of Tabasco. Gently toss with your hands to avoid crushing the avocado, taste and adjust Tabasco and salt to your liking.
Serves 4 to 6
