Celery and Artichoke Salad with Shavings of Parmigiano-Reggiano

• Freshly squeezed juice of 1 lemon
• 6 firm small artichokes, no more than 3 inches wide
• 8 to 12 tender celery stalks with leaves, from the inner part of the head (about 10 ounces)
• 1 1/2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice, or more to taste
• 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 3/4 teaspoon salt, or more to taste
• A chunk of Parmigiano-Reggiano or Grana Padano*

1. Stir the lemon juice into a bowl with a quart of cold water.
2. The acidulated water will keep the artichoke slices from discoloring after you cut them.
3. Work with one artichoke at a time: Trim off the thick outside leaves, until you reach the tender, pale inside leaves.
4. Cut off the tough bottom of the stem, but leave most of it (an inch or so) attached to the globe.
5. With a vegetable peeler or paring knife, peel off the outer skin of the short stem, exposing the fresh layer underneath.
6. Next, cut straight across the pointed top of the artichoke, removing the tips of the leaves and the darker, coarser top part, retaining only the pale green lower two-thirds.
7. Drop the trimmed artichoke into the acidulated water.
8. Trim he rest of them in this way, submerging them all in the bowl.
9. To prepare the celery, trim off the wide end of the celery stalks and pick off any coarse outer leaves, reserving only the tender, pale leaves.
10. Peel the stalks if theyre dark, tough, or blemished.
11. Slice each one on the diagonal, 1/8 inch thick, into delicate, translucent crescents.
12. Chop the tender leaves, and put all the celeryabout 2 cupsin a large mixing bowl.
13. When youre ready to serve the salad, remove a trimmed artichoke from the lemon water and cut, from stem to top, in 1/8-inch slices; add them to the bowl.
14. Quickly slice all the artichokes this way, and toss the celery and artichoke slices together with the lemon juice, the olive oil, and the salt.
15. With a vegetable peeler or sharp knife, shave about two dozen delicate large flakes of Parmigiano-Reggiano or Grana Padano from the chunk of cheese; each shaving should be a couple of inches long and 1 or 2 inches wide.
16. Fold the shavings of cheese gently into the sliced vegetables.
17. Taste, and adjust dressing.
18. Arrange the salad on a serving platter, or portion on salad plates.
19. Shave more flakes of cheese, and scatter a dozen or more over the platter, or place three or four on top of each individual serving.

freshly squeezed juice, artichokes, head, freshly squeezed lemon juice, extravirgin olive oil, salt

Taken from www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/celery-and-artichoke-salad-with-shavings-of-parmigiano-reggiano-384397 (may not work)