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A Tasty Recipe: Celery-Fig-Walnut Relish with Idiazabel & Salami

Posted by Luan in

October 20, 2006


One of our favorite cookbooks is Judy Roger’s The Zuni Café Cookbook. Zuni is one of San Francisco’s many superb restaurants and everything Tim & I have ever eaten there – or made from the cookbook – has been delicious. Here’s one of our favorite dishes that works well as either an easy appetizer or as a light meal.

Celery-Fig-Walnut Relish with Idiazabel & Salami

12 walnut halves
4 dried Calmyrna figs
1 stalk celery
1 T. pomegranate seeds (optional)
Olive oil
Salt & pepper
Grappa*

Idiazabel (a Spanish sheep’s milk cheese that is lightly smoked)
Salami (Fra’Mani Toscano is ideal)
Crisp radishes (optional)

Heat oven to 300.

Spread the walnut halves onto a baking sheet and warm for about 5 minutes. Then bundle them into a rough kitchen towel and roll them against the fabric to remove the slightly tannic skins. It’s fine for them to break into small pieces as you do this. The fresher your walnuts are, the more easily the skins will come off. Pick the walnut pieces out of the remaining skins and break into smallish pieces. (You might have about 8 pieces per half nut.) Discard the skins.

Slice the celery into thin crescents. Cut away the stem of the figs, and chop into pieces about the same size as the walnuts.

Toss together the walnuts, celery, figs and pomegranate seeds (if using) and drizzle on just enough olive oil to coat. Add a couple of splashes of Grappa, stir, and let sit for 5 minutes for flavors to meld. Taste and adjust seasonings.

Cut the Idiazabel into triangular pieces and fan them onto serving plate. Array the salami beautifully. Scrub the radishes and trim their tails (though if their leaves are still nice, it’s pretty to serve them with their tops intact). Either mound the relish on the plate or put into a little bowl. Adding some crusty bread and a little frisee and vinaigrette salad makes this into a nice light meal.

Eat it up!


* You can substitute cognac or brandy if you don’t have any Grappa on hand.