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Here’s a funny little thing, while we’re eating bits and bobs this week.  Not quite a salad, not quite a relish, full of flavor and crunch and brine and pop.

I found it via Lottie + Doof, where Tim says he found it in a Sicilian cookbook.  It’s kind of weird.  Whatever.  It’s great.We scooped spoonfuls onto the baguette rounds we ate alongside our shakshuka the other day.  I had a little pile of it beside my sandwich.  I daresay it could go right into a sandwich of the right sort quite happily.  Or serve it as part of an antipasto spread, of course.  Or just with a fork.

It’s worth mentioning that the flavor of the celery plays an important role here, so please no insipid, yellowed celery hearts.  If you can find a nice bunch at the farmers market, grab it and use the dark outer stalks.  And don’t forget to save the celery leaves to make flaky homemade celery salt.  (Wouldn’t that be a nice and inexpensive hostess or holiday gift?)

Have you ever had an olive salad?

Green Olive and Celery Salad: Chop equal quantities of pitted green olives and celery stalks into small dice.  Add a handful each of chopped parsley and chopped mint, then toss with olive oil, wine vinegar, and salt and pepper to taste.