I had extra celery and blue cheese at home so I built on that and prepared a tasty salad. The ingredients are simple but when you peal the celery you elevate it. You also elevate the hazelnuts by boiling the bitterness out of them and then toasting to be fragrant with spices. A basic low oil dressing ties it all together.

Ingredients for about 6 servings

1/2 bunch celery with ribs pealed and chopped into around half inch chunks

1 lemon juiced and zest (in a small bowl)

1 apple cored and chopped (put apple in the small bowl into the lemon juice)

2 scallions chopped

4 oz. blue cheese crumbled

1 cup hazelnuts (put in a microwave safe bowl with about 1 1/2 cups of water, cover with plastic wrap and microwave for three minutes) Set to side

1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1 Tablespoon sugar

fresh ground sea salt

1/4 teaspoon cayenne

2 Tablespoons dijon mustard

1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

splash Worcestershire sauce

1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar

fresh ground sea salt

fresh ground black pepper

Directions set oven to 300 degrees F

Get your microwaved hazelnuts

and rub them well with paper towels

to take away any loose skin. 

Now put the hazelnuts on a sheet pan. Sprinkle the nuts with 1 tablespoon oil, sugar,fresh ground sea salt and cayenne. They need about 25 minutes in the oven and then remove and set to the side. You might have slightly more than you want for this recipe so just use them as a snack or to top a salad.

Remove the apple pieces from the lemon juice and add the apples in a large bowl with the celery, scallions and blue cheese.

Make the dressing in your lemon juice bowl. To the lemon juice add dijon mustard, oil, mix well and then add Worcestershire, vinegar, salt and pepper continuing to mix well.

Combine everything in the large bowl except for the hazelnuts. Add fresh ground salt and pepper to taste.

Top each serving with some hazelnuts.