LITTLE GEM SALAD WITH PICKLED CELERY AND TAHINI

Serves 8 to 10

INGREDIENTS Pickled celery:

1 cup white wine vinegar

1/3 cup sugar

2 tablespoons kosher salt

1 teaspoon coriander seeds

6 celery stalks, trimmed and sliced on an angle, ¼-inch thick

Dressing:

½ cup tahini

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice 2 garlic cloves, finely grated

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper Salad

2 pounds (6 large heads) Little Gem lettuce, trimmed and quartered

4 red radishes, thinly sliced

¾ cup toasted hazelnuts, coarsely chopped ¼ cup celery leaves (light green and yellow

leaves only) DIRECTIONS

For the pickled celery: In a small saucepan, combine the vinegar, sugar, salt, coriander and 1 cup water. Bring to a simmer over high heat and cook until the sugar and salt have dissolved, about 2 minutes. Place the celery in a heatproof bowl and pour the brine over it. Let cool completely.

For the dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together ½ cup of the pickled celery brine, the tahini, olive oil, lemon juice and garlic until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.

For the salad: Drain the pickled celery, reserving the extra brine, if desired for future batches of salad dressing. Arrange the lettuce quarters on a platter with the sliced radishes. Drizzle liberally with the dressing, then top with the pickled celery and hazelnuts. Garnish with the celery leaves, then serve.

— From “Jew-ish: A Cookbook: Reinvented Recipes from a Modern Mensch” by Jake Cohen

(Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, $30)

Jake Cohen’s Little Gem salad with pickled celery and tahini dressing is a great alternative to the typical second bitter herb served during the Passover Seder.