The Absent-Minded Shopper's Tangy Celery Slaw

Some recipes happen because I'm absent-minded…

Occasionally, Mom and I forget what's in the fridge when we're at the store, so we end up with a surplus of something perishable. This week, it was celery. Imagine realizing you had two great honkin' bunches of celery, and no inclination to make a hundred servings of "Ants on a Log"!

And not only did we buy too much celery, but Pop's garden has already started yielding a few tasty morsels, so we had a superabundance of baby bok choy to work into the menu this weekend. Therein lay a dilemma easily solved, if one is inclined to slawg away in the kitchen for a few minutes, chopping veggies and fruits. And so inclined I was.

 

Tangy Celery Slaw

Ingredients:
 

slaw:
4 to 6 cups celery, sliced thinly (leaves included)
3 cups baby bok choi leaves, coarsely shredded
2 cups crisp apple, julienne sliced
1/2 cup scallion greens

dressing:
1/2 teaspoon simple syrup*
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1 tablespoon hot mustard
2 Tablespoons olive oil (I used blood orange flavored oil, because I had some on hand)
juice of 1 medium lemon (about 3 Tablespoons)
1/4 teaspoon celery salt
1 teaspoon celery seed
salt, pepper to taste



Directions:

In a large mixing bowl, combine sliced celery, bok choi leaves, julienned apple, and scallion greens. Toss/stir until completely mixed.


In a small mixing bowl, whisk together all dressing ingredients. Pour over salad and stir to completely coat.

Allow to chill in refrigerator at least an hour. Toss in bowl again before serving.





*simple syrup: put equal parts sugar and water in a small saucepan. On high heat, stir to make sure sugar completely dissolves. Bring to full boil for at least 1 minute. Allow to cool completely. Can be kept in refrigerator a very long time, and used in making all sorts of desserts and drinks (especially lemonade). Can also be diluted (3 parts distilled water /1 part syrup)  for hummingbird feeders.

Variations:

If you don't have baby bok choy as an option, you can easily substitute young spinach, kale, or whatever other tender greens you prefer.

For apples, I cut up a pair of mid-sized Cosmic Crisps, because they were on special and they showed more color in this particular dish than would the Granny Smiths that were the same price. If you have another favorite baking apple, though, I encourage you give it a go.

Crumble a bit of feta or blue cheese into the dish right before serving, if you want to add some protein.

Chopped toasted almonds can give added crunch to this slaw, and raisins or other dried fruits like blueberries, cherries, or cranberries can add a spot of tenderness and/or tang, according to your tastes (but if you use the fruit, I'd suggest reducing or eliminating celery seed from the dressing).

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Like many slaws, this salad is excellent the next day, as well, so don't throw away any leftovers you might have.


Go ahead. Have some fun playing in the kitchen. You know you want to.