Food Waldorf Salad: Crisp Apples & Toasted Walnuts

Place the 0.75 cup raw walnut halves in a dry skillet over medium heat. Toast for 5 minutes until fragrant and slightly darkened. Move them constantly to prevent burning, then immediately transfer to a cold plate.

Wash and dry the 1 head of Bibb lettuce carefully. Arrange the leaves on four individual plates or one large platter to create a soft, green bed.

In a medium bowl, whisk together 0.25 cup mayo, 0.25 cup Greek yogurt, 1 tbsp lemon juice, 0.5 tsp honey, 0.5 tsp salt, and 0.25 tsp pepper. Whisk until the mixture is velvety and smooth.

Core and chop the 2 Granny Smith and 1 Honeycrisp apples into 2cm cubes. Work quickly and toss them directly into the dressing bowl as you go.

Slice the 1 cup of celery on a sharp diagonal. Add the slices to the bowl with the apples and dressing.

Halve the 1.5 cups of red grapes and add them to the mixture. If the grapes are very large, you can quarter them, but halves usually provide the best pop in the mouth.

Add the 0.25 cup of golden raisins to the bowl. These will begin to absorb a tiny bit of the lemon juice, making them even more tender.

Add the cooled, toasted walnuts to the bowl. Use a large rubber spatula to fold everything together gently until every piece is shimmering with dressing.

Spoon the mixture onto the prepared lettuce leaves. Ensure each serving gets a good mix of all the components.

Grind a tiny bit of extra black pepper over the top for a professional look. Serve immediately while the temperature contrast between the room temp nuts and cold fruit is still present.