Knee-deep in winter, we're ready for bright, perky salads: enter cold weather hero, the apple, whose zing is too often tamped down in pies & sauces. Here, any apple salad counts -- pair with greens, grains, cured meats, more fruit, whatever. But fair warning: A&M aren't fans of dulling mayo dressings on their fruit...
These are not your usual contests. We have a slightly nutty system but it works. Together, the Food52 community has created two cookbooks this way -- there’s no stopping us now. Read about it
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In no particular order: pecans, bacon cut into lardons, thyme, fennel, brown sugar, mesclun, lemon, one of two apples (this one's a tart McIntosh), and garlic. Celery root didn't get the memo.
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Readying the mise en place -- thyme leaves stripped, fennel shaved, garlic mincing away.
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Lonesome without Merrill, Amanda finds comfort in her new pet celery root.
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Bacon! Render the fat out slowly and you'll be rewarded with crisp, meaty lardons.
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Don't get lazy -- toast those pecans to crisp them up and intensify their nutty flavor. We ran them under the broiler but a dry pan on the stovetop works too.
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Amanda sheds the celery root's rough skin to reveal a cool, crunchy interior.
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Take 5 for a staring contest.
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Celery root trimmed into thin shards, Amanda moves on to dice the gala apple for the dressing.
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Cider vinegar and brown sugar caramelize. Watch out -- the vapors will prick your eyes and nose, but it's worth it for the addictive tart-sweet backdrop it lends to the dressing.
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In go the apples and garlic to soften for about 5 minutes.
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We love blender salad dressings -- more cider vinegar, thyme, lemon juice and salt join the party.
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Drizzle in the olive oil (or just dump it in and let the blender do the work).
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Magic, or at least emulsification. We could drink this stuff.
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You want a tart, crisp apple for the salad -- we used a local McIntosh.
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Amanda's poised to dig in and go all Alice Waters on that salad.
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But first, a taste test.
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The dressing passes muster, and joins its friends in the salad bowl.
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A thorough toss -- done and done!
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Cascading down from top left: avocado, creme fraiche, garlic, chives, cucumber, honey, lemon, golden raisins, Granny Smith, gorgonzola, pistachios.
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Prep time in the shadow of the gorgonzola mountain.
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Champagne vinegar is the light, frisky acid in this dressing.
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Liquids, fats: prepare to get emulsified.
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Fortheloveofyum calls for pretty, green-skinned Granny Smith, but any tart, crunchy apple will do.
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Apple salad is hilarious! (that's Jennifer in the background, who probably just told a funny story about last week's Top Chef)
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Lemon juice keeps the avocado and apple from oxidizing (a.k.a. getting dark and ugly).
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A nice ripe avocado and hunk of gorgonzola -- what more do you need? Let's all gaze lovingly.
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Thwack! Twist! This is how you (carefully) remove an avocado pit with the blade of your knife.
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Anybody feeling deja vu?
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English cucumber for crunch -- no skinning or seeding required.
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Shades of green, indeed.
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Pistachios (toasted, if you please) and golden raisins lend their shades of green to the palette.
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The recipe calls for 1/4 to a 1/2 cup of gorgonzola -- ours was on the pungent side, so we went for a (very) heaping 1/4 cup.
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In goes the dressing, straight from the blender.
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Mid-toss.
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Voila!
