A big Sunday lunch was a real tradition in Alsace. Every household would sit down to a big meal with all the family membersâparents, children, grandchildren, aunts, uncles, and cousins. But for us, Sunday was a little crazy at home. It was the only day we didnât eat together as a family. While Grandma kept us busy upstairs, Mom and Dad were busy downstairs. It was the busiest day of the week in the shop. Everyone came in for special pastries and cakes for their familyâs lunch.
In order to cook the midday meal and still have time for church, the women organized their menus around make-ahead and slow-cooked dishes. Early in the morning, Grandma would make marrow dumplings, dust them with flour, and then cover them with a towel. Then she would make a series of salads and hors dâoeuvres such as a carrot salad, celery root salad, and stuffed eggs. These would be ready to eat when everyone returned from church.
The menu worked well for whenever everyone could sit down together. Mom and Dad showed up when they took a break from the shop. Grandma would set my brother and me up, and then my father would come upstairs to eat while my mother looked after the shop. Then he would go down and Mom would come up. Even when served in this sort of hectic way, the flavors and textures didnât lose anything. Later my brother and I would both go down to the shop to choose something for dessert.
WE USE CELERY ROOT OFTEN IN ALSACE, and this salad is one of Grandmaâs dishes that she prepared for us in the fall, when celery roots are harvested. This fresh, crisp, light-tasting salad is very much like an American slaw. Celery root by itself is underused, but it has a wonderful flavor and texture for salads, and you can braise it by itself. Itâs one of those earthy vegetables, like beets, that I think people are coming back to. When shopping for celery root, choose smaller onesâthe big ones can be hollow and fibrous.
Serves 8
Large handful (about 2 ounces) walnuts or pecans
3 tablespoons heavy cream
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 lemon, halved, plus 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice and more as needed
1 small celery root (about 1 pound)
1 tart green apple (about 8 ounces), peeled, halved, and cored
3 tablespoons finely minced fresh chives
Handful celery leaves or lovage, for garnish
Heat a small skillet over medium-low heat and add the nuts. Stir and toss until lightly toasted and fragrant, about 5 minutes. Pour onto a dish to cool, chop them coarsely, and set aside.
In a small bowl, whisk together the cream, mayonnaise, and mustard and season with salt and pepper. Set the mixture aside.
Because celery root oxidizes so quickly, some recipes will tell you to julienne and then blanch it to preserve its color. But I donât recommend that here as you will not get the right texture for your salad. Instead, fill a medium bowl halfway with water. Squeeze the juice from 1 lemon half into the water and drop in the peel. Working as quickly as you can, peel the celery root and rub the cut edges with the second lemon half to prevent discoloration. When finished, drop this lemon half into the bowl of water, too.
Cut the celery root into several pieces and drop them into the lemon water as you go. Shred the chunks with a coarse grater or with a food processorâs grating disk. You should have about 4 packed cups.
Transfer the grated celery root to a large mixing bowl, toss with the 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, and season with salt and pepper. Coarsely shred the apple and toss it with the celery root. Add the reserved dressing, the walnuts, and half of the chives. Toss well until evenly combined. Taste and adjust the seasonings. Cover the mixture with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and for up to a day or two.
When ready to serve, toss the salad with the remaining chives and taste for seasoning again. Add salt, pepper, and lemon juice if needed. Arrange the salad in a serving bowl and garnish with the celery leaves.
Notes
⣠Though Grandma would not have done this, you can substitute lime for the lemon juice if you like.
⣠To lighten the dressing a little, you can substitute Greek-style plain nonfat yogurt. Also, you can substitute other herbs for the chives, such as parsley, a little cilantro, basil, and nepitella (calamintha nepeta, a Tuscan favorite, in flavor a cross between mint and oregano).
Grandmaâs Light Mayonnaise
MY GRANDMA used to make this mayonnaise all the time. I donât know where the idea came from, but Chantalâs mom used the same technique. It must have been a way of stretching ingredients. Itâs very useful for anyone who loves the silky richness of mayonnaise but cannot afford all the cal...