What I made this weekend: Mushroom and celery salad

One of the difficulties I have with cooking, as I've mentioned, is using up the ingredients I buy, especially fresh produce, before they go bad and for things that I actually want to eat. This time it was a bunch of celery that I had bought a week ago, of which I had only used two stalks for chicken stock, that was sitting in my refrigerator, taunting me. I could have made vegetable soup or tuna salad, but was not in the mood for either (and then I would have ended up with a refrigerator full of prepared food that I didn't want to eat).

Then I remembered a salad I had at Supper of mushrooms, celery and shaved pecorino, dressed with lemon juice and olive oil.

One of the things that I love about Supper is how incredibly simple their food is, so that you focus on the individual ingredients and how they complement each other. As luck would have it, I had mushrooms (that I'd been using for my Asian-style chicken noodle soup), parmigiano cheese and parsley (another one of those ingredients that I need more uses for).

Thinly sliced mushrooms and celery are doused with a bit of lemon juice and olive oil, sprinkled with salt and pepper, then topped with shavings of cheese and chopped parsley. I love the way the lemon juice is absorbed by the mushrooms and celery, and how the crunchiness of the celery contrasts the soft, dusty quality of the mushrooms (how does one describe the texture of raw mushrooms?). A different kind of dressing, such as balsamic, would do as well, although I like lemon for its fresh, clean taste. A little arugula and red onion could make this an entirely different salad altogether.

Note to self: Don't forgot to look in mirror to check for parsley stuck in teeth.