While channeling my inner Ansel Adams I took a black and white photo of myself with the Tetons in the background. Little did I know this rarely taken selfie would inspire treasured friends to send me a surprise gift containing all things in shades of grays. In addition to a vintage book of Ansel Adams photos, there was also a cookbook whose cover was in black and white contained in the thoughtfully filled box. The first book will definitely influence the photos I take on my upcoming return trip to the Tetons, while the second one immediately inspired me. Truth be told, I am a hard one to buy a cookbook for. Not only because I have an immense collection of more than five hundred cookbooks, but because I am rather fussy about which ones I want to own, which ones I think I will learn something from, and which ones contain recipes I want to make. From the moment I opened "Outside: Recipes for a Wilder Way of Eating" by English chef Gill Meller, I knew this was one of those 'rare' cookbooks. The first recipe to get my attention was the one for a Lettuce and Celery Salad with Blue Cheese Dressing.
There were two things about this recipe that intrigued me. First, was the simplicity of a salad made with only Little Gems (or butter lettuce) and fresh summer celery. Never had I ever thought of creating a salad combining these two ingredients. Second, was the recipe for the blue cheese dressing. One made with an interesting combination of ingredients. Again, not ones I would have ever combined together with blue cheese. Never did I imagine a dressing made with blue cheese, garlic, Dijon mustard, honey, apple cider vinegar, creme fraiche, mayonnaise and extra-virgin olive oil could be so complexly flavorful. Nor did I ever think both the salad and the dressing would be ones I will be serving regularly when having friends for dinner. In other words, this will be the new 'house' salad. At least for now.
As luck would have it, my local Farmer's Market had freshly cut stalks of summer celery for sale. I took that as an omen. After gathering all of the other necessary ingredients, I made the salad and the dressing as soon as I got home. Because I couldn't wait. It took only one bite and I was in a rare state of salad euphoria. The savory blue cheese paired with the tart apple cider vinegar, sweet honey, subtle pungency of the garlic, the creaminess of the creme fraiche and mayonnaise, and richness of the extra-virgin olive oil created the most phenomenal dressing I had ever tasted.
The Little Gem lettuce is the smaller, sweeter baby sibling of romaine. In addition to its' sweet, crisp flavor, it cradled the dressing perfectly. Because the dressing is a little on the 'thicker side, it definitely needs a 'heartier' lettuce to hold up to it, without smothering it.
Last, but not least, were the sprinkling of toasted walnut halves over the salad. They added an earthy richness to the salad. A perfect finishing touch for this seemingly simple salad.
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With the exception of adding a little more olive oil and slightly more apple cider vinegar, I made no other alterations to the dressing. I should point out that the dressing is on the thick side. If I had wanted it just slightly thinner, I would have added a little more olive oil or maybe a little milk. Make to your preferred consistency, but don't thin it too much or it will lose its' impact.
For the blue cheese I used one made by Point Reyes as it has a slightly creamy texture. If you can't find it at your favorite grocery store or cheese shop, ask for the creamiest blue cheese they sell.
If you are a lover of beautiful, flavorful salads and a big fan of blue cheese, then this is the salad for you! Serve it with some grilled fish, chicken, or beef, a loaf of bread, and a bottle of wine or sparkling water. Finish your meal with your favorite dessert, preferably one using seasonal ingredients or made with chocolate. More than likely, when everyone leaves, they will go home remembering the salad.
Recipe
Lettuce and Celery Salad w/ Blue Cheese Dressing
Serves 4-6
Ingredients
5 to 6 ounces Little Gem or Butterhead Lettuce, had cut into medium sized pieces
5-6 stalks of fresh celery, cut into 1/4" pieces on the diagonal
Large handful of walnut halves, toasted
5 sprigs of chives, cut into half inch pieces
5 to 51/2 ounces of your favorite creamy blue cheese (see notes)
1 small garlic clove finely minced or grated
2 teaspoons of dijon mustard
2 teaspoons of pourable honey, plus more to taste
1 1/2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 Tablespoons creme fraiche
2 Tablespoons mayonnaise
3 Tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher or sea salt and black pepper to taste
Directions
1. Begin by making the dressing. Crumble the blue cheese into a medium sized bowl. Add in the garlic, honey, mustard, vinegar and a pinch of black pepper. Use a fork to mash into a coarse paste. Note: Do not get rid of all of the bits of blue cheese.
2. Work in the creme fraiche and mayonnaise. Mix until well blended.
3. Whisk in the olive oil until reaching desired consistency. Add salt to taste. Note: If you want your dressing slightly thinner add in some additional olive oil, one tablespoon at a time.
4. In a large bowl, add in the torn lettuce leaves and celery.
5. Spoon half of the dressing over the mixture. Use your hands to gently coat the lettuce and celery. Transfer to your serving dish.
6. Sprinkle the chopped chives and toasted walnut halves over the salad.
7. Spoon small dollops of the remaining dressing over the salad. Lightly season with black pepper and Kosher or seal salt. Serve immediately. Note: You will have some left over dressing. Do not use it all on this salad.
Notes: (1) I used Point Reyes Blue Cheese. (2) Sour cream is the easiest substitute for creme fraiche, but it's not as rich and tangy. Whole foods usually carries creme fraiche.
Grand Tetons, Wyoming, May 2024
