Our Second Favorite Way to Eat Apples in Summer: Apple Salad

Our trip to the grocery store today turned up these 

gorgeous Gala apples (our favorite variety):

This shiny beauty weighs an incredible 13.5 ounces!

Obviously, the very best way to eat these crisp, crunchy apples (which are somehow sweet and tart at the same time) is thinly sliced with the peel still on!

Our second favorite way, and possibly our favorite summer recipe, is the apple salad I created for my husband, who can never get enough apples and eats them every day! Like a lot of my recipes, it's more abstract than specific. I'll leave you to your own proportions and ingredient choices. It's bound to turn out delicious no matter what- so here's the general idea-

Steve's Apple Salad

1. Cut 1 apple per person (depending on hunger level and size of apples) into bite-sized pieces (maybe 1/2" square).

2. Here's the secret ingredient: Toss the apples in a splash of flavored vinegar. This adds flavor to the salad, and keeps the cut apples from browning too quickly.

3. Add Miracle Whip Light until it's as mayonnaise-ey as you like it.

4. Mix in one, some or all of the following: raisins, dried cranberries, sunflower seeds, chopped walnuts, chopped pecans, toasted sliced almonds, or anything else that sounds good to you.

It's so delicious, it could be dessert! 

A Word About Flavored Vinegars

I always keep a selection of flavored vinegars in my pantry for use in salads and marinades. My favorites for Steve's Apple Salad are shown here: Citrus Champagne Vinegar from Sur la Table and Cranberry Pear White Balsamic Vinegar from Oliveto in Roanoke. Only a light-colored vinegar should be chosen for this salad, as a darker dressing will interfere with the beautiful coloring of your fruit.