When Jason Stanhope was brainstorming the recipe for his now-famous celery salad at Lowland in Charleston, he’d been inspired by celery salads at other restaurants, among them James London’s Chubby Fish and The Four Horseman in Brooklyn.
Pro tip: “The most important thing is to taste as you go—seasoning vegetables is different than seasoning lettuces,” Stanhope says. To serve, spoon a layer into a shallow bowl. Grate cheddar over top, and garnish with chopped celery hearts and a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil.
recipe 
yields
Serves 6-8
1 head celery
4 cups walnuts
1 bunch mint
2½ cups pitted dates, sliced into ½-inch pieces
½ cup Sherry Vinaigrette, divided (recipe follows)
Salt and pepper to taste
2 cups Prairie Breeze cheddar (or sub your favorite aged cheddar)
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Makes 1 pint
2 tablespoons minced shallot
2 teaspoons dijon mustard (Stanhope uses Maille)
1 cup canola oil
½ cup sherry vinegar
Ingredients:
For the Sherry Vinaigrette
Special Equipment: Ice bath
steps
Make the Sherry Vinaigrette
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk ingredients to combine. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Make the Celery Salad
- Remove celery heart and yellow leaves; chop and set aside for garnish. Wash outer stalks of celery, and chop into ½-inch pieces. Bring a small pot of slightly salted water to a boil; add celery and blanch for 1 minute. Remove celery from boiling water and immediately shock in a prepared ice bath. Drain and dry celery well. Set aside.
- Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Spread walnuts on a baking sheet and toast for 15 minutes. While walnuts are toasting, roughly chop mint.
- In a large bowl, combine mint, celery, walnuts, and dates, and season with salt and fresh cracked pepper. Add 2 tablespoons of vinaigrette, toss, and taste; adjust seasoning as needed, adding up to ½ cup of vinaigrette
Date Published: 12.18.24
