2 cups button mushrooms, wiped clean with a damp paper
towel and sliced
6 to 8 regular celery stalks, cut into ½-inch pieces on the bias
To make the pesto, blanch the celery leaves in a pot of boiling
water for just 10 seconds. Shock them in ice water and then, with
paper towels, squeeze them dry. Add the almonds and garlic to a
blender and blend until you get a paste. Add the celery leaves and
a pinch of salt and, with the motor running on low, slowly drizzle
olive oil in through the opening in the lid until it forms a pesto.
Taste and adjust the seasoning*.
To make the salad dressing, either blend or whisk all the
ingredients except the oil, and then slowly drizzle in the oil until
the dressing reaches a consistency that you like. Taste and adjust
the seasoning.
To make the salad, get a grill pan or cast-iron skillet very hot
and, first, add the grapes by themselves. Grill just until they get a
little color—2 or 3 minutes—and then set aside. Add the
mushrooms to the pan and, again, grill until they turn a nice
burnished color, 4 to 5 minutes. In a medium bowl, toss both the
grapes and the mushrooms with the pesto.
In a separate bowl, toss the celery with the dressing and plate;
top with the grapes and mushrooms.
* Chinese celery is preferable here; it practically looks like
parsley, there are so many leaves to pull from one bunch. With
regular celery from the supermarket, you’ll barely get enough