Celery Root with Apples, Walnuts and Blue Cheese

• Recipe by Maria Helm Sinskey

This delicious winter salad combines all kinds of flavors and textures: crunchy, juicy, earthy, nutty and toasty.

Ingredients

1. 1/2 cup walnut halves
2. 1/4 cup cider vinegar
3. 2 tablespoons minced shallot
4. 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
5. Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
6. 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
7. 1 cup crumbled blue cheese
8. 2 celery roots (3/4 pound each), peeled and cut into 1/4-inch dice
9. 3 large Granny Smith apples—peeled, cored and cut into 1/4-inch dice

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°. Toast the walnuts for 8 to 10 minutes, or until golden. Let cool, then coarsely chop the nuts.
2. In a large bowl, whisk the vinegar with the shallot, mustard and a generous pinch each of salt and pepper; let stand for 10 minutes. Whisk in the olive oil and 1/4 cup of the blue cheese. Just before serving, add the celery root and apples to the dressing, season with salt and pepper and toss well. Add the chopped nuts and the remaining 3/4 cup of blue cheese and serve.

Make Ahead

The shallot dressing can be refrigerated overnight.