Salata cu mere Waldorf/ Waldorf salad

(Please scroll down for English version)

Saptamana asta la mica piata la care ma duc eu, nu mai aveau piersici. Probabil ca s-au trecut, este deja jumatatea lui august. In schimb, chiar in mijlocul tarabei, era un cosulet cu mere. Un singur cosulet. Parca ma astepta pe mine :) Erau din cele galben delicios, putin crude, atat cat sa fie de un dulce acrisor divin. Nu am mai mancat de mult mere asa bune. Poate de cand eram copii si mergeam la practica la cules de mere... si apoi incepeam sa aruncam unii in altii cu cele stricate...

Si parca a fost un facut, saptamana asta am auzit vorbindu-se la tv de 2 ori despre salata Waldorf. M-am gandit cum de nu am auzit pana acum de salata asta, asa ca a trebuit sa o caut. Am gasit cateva retete, din care am ales ce mi-a placut mie.

Salata Waldorf a fost servita prima data in anul 1893 la Hotelul Waldorf din New York. Continea mere, telina si maioneza. De-a lungul timpului i s-au adaugat si alte ingrediente, precul nucile, si alte variante au dressing de iaurt. Eu am adaugat niste merisoare uscate. Mi-a placut si ideea sa adaug struguri, dar cum am gasit destul de rar struguri foarte buni, am renuntat. Si pentru dressing am amestecat maioneza si iaurt facut in casa.

Ingrediente:

2 mere medii, cu coaja, fara seminte si cotor, taiata cubulete de 1-2 cm
3 tulpini de telina, taiate in cubulete de aproximativ aceleasi dimensiuni (2/3 cana)
1-2 linguri de zeama de lamaie
1/3 cana merisoare uscate (se pot substitui cu stafide)
1/2 cana nuci coapte si tocate bucati mari*
cateva frunze de salata verde pentru servit (eu am folosit-o mai mult pentru decor)

Merele tocate se stropesc cu zeama de lamaie pentru a preveni oxidarea. Se amesteca cu telina, merisoarele si nucile. Se toarna dressingul, se mesteca si se serveste pe salata verde.

Pentru dressing avem nevoie de:

1 lingura plina maioneza cumparata
2 linguri iaurt simplu
sare si putin piper, dupa gust

Se amesteca si se bat putin cu telul.

Rezultat fenomenal!

* Pentru a coace nucile, se pun intr-un singur strat intr-o tava in cuptorul incalzit la 180 grade Celsius (350 Fahrenheit) pentru cel mult 15 minute, pana cand se rumenesc putin. Atentie: se ard foarte repede!



This week at the farmers market, they had no peaches. Maybe they're out of season, is already August. But, in the middle of the counter was a small basket with apples. Just one basket. Like it was waiting for me :) It was Golden Delicious apples, just a little raw, to get that sweet and sour divine taste. I haven't had such great apples in a while. Maybe since I was in school and we had to go picking apples... and after a while we start throwing the bad ones at each other...

And like it was meant to be, this week I heard twice at TV about Waldorf salad. I thought "how come I never heard about this salad?" and I had to check it out. I found several recipes, and I chose what I liked most.

The Waldorf salad was served for the first time in 1893 at Waldorf Hotel in New York. It contained only apples, celery and mayo. In time, other ingredients were added to it, like walnuts, and some recipes substituted the mayo with yogurt. I added dried cranberries. I liked the idea of adding grapes, but I didn't find very good grapes, so I saved it for some other time. And for dressing I mixed jarred mayo and homemade yogurt.

Ingredients:

2 medium apples, with skin, seeded and cut in 1/2 inch cubes
3 sticks of celery cut in cubes, the same size (2/3 cup)
1-2 tbsp lemon juice
1/3 cup dried cranberries (it can be substituted with raisins)
1/2 cup toasted walnuts* coarsely chopped
Lettuce leaves for serving

Sprinkle the chopped apples with the lemon juice to prevent browning. Mix with celery, cranberries and walnuts. Toss with the dressing and serve on top of lettuce leaves.

For the dressing we will need:

1 tbsp mayo
2 tbsp homemade plain yogurt
Salt and little pepper, after taste

Whip all the ingredients until well combined.

Phenomenal result!

* To toast the walnuts, place them on a single layer in a baking sheet and place them in a preheated oven (350 degrees) for about 15 minutes. Be careful: they burn very quickly.



Waldorf Salad