Celery, Pear and Hazelnut Salad

• Recipe by Jerry Traunfeld

Jerry Traunfeld makes this refreshing salad with a trio of crunchy ingredients—celery, Asian pear and toasted hazelnuts—then dresses it with a tangy vinaigrette. “Celery is underappreciated as a salad ingredient,” he says. “And Asian pears also have that great crunch.” Traunfeld prefers the sweet, oval-shaped DuChilly hazelnut over the rounder, more common variety. A good source for DuChilly nuts is Holmquist Hazelnut Orchards (holmquisthazelnuts.com).

Ingredients

1. 1/2 cup hazelnuts
2. 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
3. 2 teaspoons whole-grain mustard
4. 1 teaspoon kosher salt
5. 1/4 cup hazelnut oil
6. 6 celery ribs, thinly sliced on the bias
7. 1 medium Asian pear, cut into 1 1/2-by-3/8-inch matchsticks
8. 1/4 cup chopped dill

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°. Spread the hazelnuts in a pie plate and toast for about 8 minutes, until lightly golden and fragrant. Let cool, then transfer to kitchen towel and rub them together to remove the skins. Coarsely chop the hazelnuts.
2. In a large bowl, whisk the cider vinegar with the mustard and salt. Gradually whisk in the hazelnut oil. Add the celery, Asian pear, dill and hazelnuts and toss to coat. Serve immediately.