Celery, Fennel, and Kohlrabi Salad with a Date Vinaigrette

Reigniting My Passion For Celery

Celery often gets a bad rap, always playing a supporting role, never the star.

It’s rarely cooked alone, usually added to salads just for "a bit of crunch."

I've always found this amusing because the impact of celery is far from secondary. Its distinct saline freshness is both particular and addictive. Recently, I've encountered two remarkable celery salads that have reignited my passion for its flavors. Celery is magical in all its forms. The stalks are sweet and salty with a herbaceous and slightly bitter punch. Celery root carries the flavor of the stalks but without the bitterness, with a hint of parsley. When roasted, they become nutty and sweet. The leaves are the most intense, packing a serious celery punch with a touch more bitterness and an almost spicy taste.

The Inspiration

Celery salad with walnuts, aged goat cheese, and golden raisins from Stir Crazy

Stir Crazy is a newer wine bar in LA, located in Hollywood. The food program is overseen by my friend Macklin, who also happens to serve some of the best apple juice around. The menu offers a mix of wine bar classics like charcuterie, cheeses, anchovies, and carpaccio, alongside elevated yet approachable dishes like black cod in a beurre monte with turnips and citrus kosho, and locally foraged chanterelles with leeks, broccoli flowers, and a poached egg.

The first time I visited, I had just finished a full meal at Jon & Vinny's with my friend Laurent, and we were stuffed. Fortunately, our limited self-control when dining out led us to order a few snacks... We opted for the lightest item on the menu before indulging in dessert.

The celery salad was absolutely addictive. Cut on a bias but in thicker segments, the celery truly stole the show. Delightfully crunchy, the pieces almost felt brined as you bit into them. It would have been delicious on its own, but tossed with some toasted walnuts and truly delicious aged goat cheese, I couldn’t get enough.

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Hart’s, on the border of Crown Heights and Bed Stuy, is a neighborhood restaurant tucked into the side of a building. It's been a favorite of mine for years and is part of a great restaurant group that also owns Cervo’s and The Fly.

This very tiny restaurant seems to change its menu almost daily. Highly seasonal, it's one of my favorite places to go for inspiration. The seemingly simple food always seems to pack a punch. That was exactly the case with the Celery Hearts with anchovies and parmesan.

The celery was cooked slightly, likely a confit, which softened its crunch but retained its fresh punch. Adorned with anchovies and small chunks of parmesan, the dish almost felt like an antipasto. It was dressed simply with a generous amount of olive oil, splashes of vinegar, salt, and black pepper. A perfect example of big flavor, perfect seasoning, and restraint. Just another reason why I love Hart’s.

The Recipe

I’d be remiss not to state that this salad, in fact, is not singularly a celery salad…. It has some supporting characters. However, celery truly steals the spotlight here. The Kohlrabi adds further texture and a subtle sweetness while the fennel’s anise flavor enhances the herbaceous salinity of the celery.

RECIPE BELOW