Yes, there will be glazed ham on the menu, along with herbed mashed potatoes, sourdough buns, lovely candied carrots and light citrusy desserts, a.k.a. key lime pie and lemon curd parfaits.

A crunchy celery salad, both tangy and sweet, goes well with Easter ham. Karen Schneider photo

And we must have this incredible, crunchy salad, the one I could devour every day, sometimes for lunch and dinner. It’s my new favorite thing!

The skinny on this: You can stretch out the portions of this delectable, healthy side dish to feed more people by adding a couple handfuls of micro greens or serving it atop crispy lettuce or romaine leaves.

Also, this salad can be prepped ahead of time by completing all the chopping and dicing and storing the ingredients in separate Ziploc bags in the refrigerator, then combining it all later. The dressing can be made ahead as well.

If the dates you have on hand are a bit chewy, soak them in warm water for 30 minutes or so, then drain them and pat them dry. The pecans don’t have to be toasted, but I’m a big fan of toasted nuts. Just do it and you’ll see why. No pecans in the kitchen? Use walnuts instead. Don’t put them in the salad until right before serving or set them in a separate small bowl to sprinkle onto the salad once it’s plated.

Once the salad is combined with its dressing, it will keep in the refrigerator for a day but it won’t be as crunchy. It will still be delicious, though.

I recommend that you shave the Parmesan from a solid block — in other words, don’t buy the pre-shaved kind in the plastic container. I used my mandolin to do the job, but any good, sharp knife will work.

The tangy dressing with the touch of sweetness from the maple syrup … I give it 10 stars. (You may want to drink it out of a glass.)

As sort of a side dessert, make these homemade peanut butter eggs. Made mid-week, these will be stored in the back of the fridge in a covered tin, and hopefully, I will forget about them and not snitch any before the big day. (I’m making a double batch just in case, though.)

Since one of my all-time favorite candies are Reese’s Peanut Butter Eggs, I had to try these. I use Teddy brand smooth peanut butter and dark chocolate chips. Worth the bit of work and definitely healthier, they will not disappoint.

Happy Easter!

Crunchy Celery Salad

• 1 bunch celery, diced
• 1 bunch parsley, finely chopped
• 1 European cucumber, peeled and diced
• 1 crisp apple, diced
• 8-10 pitted Medjool dates, chopped
• 1 1/2 cups Parmesan cheese, shaved
• 1/2 cup toasted pecans, chopped

Place all the ingredients except the nuts into a large salad bowl and toss. Just before serving, add the dressing and nuts, and toss. Yield: 6 servings

Dressing

• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1 bunch dill, finely chopped
• Juice of 2 large lemons
• 1/4 cup avocado or olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons maple syrup

Stir all ingredients in a small bowl until smooth. Yield: 1 cup

Chocolate Peanut Butter Eggs

• 2/3 cup runny peanut butter
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1/3 cup almond flour
• 2/3 cup chocolate chips
• 2 teaspoons coconut oil
• Flaky sea salt, optional

In a large bowl, combine peanut butter, maple syrup and almond flour. Stir until a thick dough forms. Scoop a large tablespoon of dough and form into egg shapes using your hands. Place on a baking tray or plate lined with parchment paper and transfer to the freezer for at least 30 minutes. Chill for at least 10 minutes to set.

Melt the chocolate chips and coconut oil in a glass container in the microwave and stir until smooth. Dip the eggs in the melted chocolate to fully coat, shake off excess chocolate and place on lined tray. Top with sea salt. Yield: 8 eggs

Karen Schneider cooks and writes in the village of Cundy’s Harbor. You can reach her at iwrite33@comcast.net.