2005: Some times the simple is sublime.

Celery and apples, such every-day ingredients. Mustard and honey and lemon juice, such pantry staples.

The combination really works. It's got crunch. It's got freshness. It's got flavor.

It's made its way to the table twice in a week. The first plate came sans walnuts and sans photo, the second plate with and with. Either way, this salad is a definite keeper and is especially appropriate for late fall and winter.

TIP: Watch for stalks of celery with lots of leaves. Mostly the packers/grocers cut off the leafy ends but some bags have more than others. The leaves are very tasty but if you can't find any, just use salad greens underneath.

2007: I love honey crisp apples but a variety with more tartness (like the recommended and less expensive Granny Smith) is especially good in this salad. Plus, there's something about a 'green on green' salad that's especially attractive. I added a few dried sour cherries to the top: not half so good as toasted walnuts. All this said, this is one of my very favorite easy salads so I'm always on the look-out for celery with a good proportion of leaves still intact.

CELERY & APPLE SALAD
Hands-on time: 10 minutes
Time to table: 10 minutes
Serves 4

DRESSING
Juice of a lemon
1 tablespoon good mustard (reduced from 2 tablespoons)
1 teaspoon honey (reduced from 2 1/2 teaspoons)
1 tablespoon olive oil (reduced from 1/3 cup)
Salt & pepper to taste

Celery leaves, chopped (or other salad greens)
2 ribs of celery, sliced thin on the diagonal
1 Granny Smith apple, cored and chopped [2007: honey crisp, cored & sliced]
2 tablespoons toasted walnuts, optional (reduced from 3/4 cup)

Whisk together the dressing ingredients in a small bowl.

Arrange celery leaves or salad greens on four small plates. Add the celery and apple. Drizzle with the dressing. Top with toasted walnuts.

NUTRITION ESTIMATE
This recipe has been "Alanna-sized" with reductions in fat. LOOK at the calorie difference! And if you were served an apple and celery salad, wouldn't you feel as if you were eating virtuously, that it would contain hardly any calories??? But LOOK what the full-oil dressing does! And I'll tell you -- it just is not needed, the dressing was absolutely delicious made with only a tablespoon of oil.

Made as specified by the recipe: 273 Cal (80% from Fat, 3% from Protein, 17% from Carb); 2 g Protein; 26 g Tot Fat; 3 g Sat Fat; 12 g Carb; 2 g Fiber; NetCarb 10; 35 mg Calcium; 1 mg Iron; 119 mg Sodium; 0 mg Cholesterol, Weight Watchers 7 points

After being Alanna-sized, Made with walnuts, Per Serving: 85 Cal (59% from Fat, 5% from Protein, 36% from Carb); 1 g Protein; 6 g Tot Fat; 1 g Sat Fat; 8 g Carb; 2 g Fiber; NetCarb 6; 24 mg Calcium; 0 mg Iron; 74 mg Sodium; 0 mg Cholesterol, Weight Watchers 2 points

After being Alanna-sized, Made without walnuts, Per Serving: 61 Cal (49% from Fat, 3% from Protein, 48% from Carb); 1 g Protein; 4 g Tot Fat; 0 g Sat Fat; 8 g Carb; 2 g Fiber; NetCarb 6; 21 mg Calcium; 0 mg Iron; 74 mg Sodium; 0 mg Cholesterol, Weight Watchers 1 point



CREDIT WHERE CREDIT'S DUE
Adapted from Gourmet, November 2005