The original post from May 2019
As can happen in New Hampshire, spring has been sooo delayed, and then we pretty much jump into summer. With that, my cooking jumps from soups, stews, and anything warm to dishes that are cooler and refreshing. It also means that all the benefits of being on the top floor of an old mill building in winter become all the reasons why it’s a little less desirable.
We downsized two and a half years ago, and I have very much enjoyed living here. There’s something pretty cool about having the original wood floors with all of their scars. There also is the brick wall that faces the downtown of my city, and the 16 foot ceilings. Yes, I’m pretty happy where I live.
Being on the top floor, it stays fairly warm in the winter. Even better are our windows, which must be at least 8 to 10 feet tall. They look upon the downtown and the Merrimack River. They also are East facing, which provides us with delightful morning light all winter long. I keep the blinds wide open, letting that sunshine coat our living room in a sense of warmth.
Then once summer arrives, I need to remember to shut the blinds. That once delightful light now bakes our living room to a crisp. For the first hours of the day it’s really smart to leave them shut. Of course, I always forget because I love the view of downtown at night. Perhaps if I just closed them when I went to bed that would make sense, but apparently I like to wait until morning. When the warmth of the room reminds me to SHUT THE BLINDS.
Really, it’s not that big of a deal. Open the windows more, turn on the ceiling fan, or when it’s really warm, use the AC. Because the view is so lovely, I hate to diminish it.
Back to the recipe- I wanted to make a few changes to my Waldorf Salad Revisited. My hope was that this would be more of a main dish salad. Rather than using regular lettuce, I opted for kale but wanted it to be a softer component, hence the wilting. I think it paired very well with the Waldorf Salad. You can skip the kale if you want. The addition of goat cheese gives the salad a nice, tangy bite and makes for a richer dressing, which in turn makes it a heartier salad. Depending on your appetite, this salad might be hearty enough to be your entree. If not, it pairs well with almost any protein. You make it; you get to choose how it’s served!
Tangy Waldorf Salad
Ingredients
- 6 ounces baby kale
- 2 ounces goat cheese softened
- ½ cup plain yogurt
- 1 apple cored
- 4 celery stalks
- Pecans
Instructions
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Heat large nonstick pan over medium heat; spray pan with nonstick spray.
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Add kale to pan and saute for 3-5 minutes, or just until the kale begins to wilt.
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Transfer kale to 2 serving dishes, and refrigerate.
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In a large bowl, combine goat cheese and yogurt, stirring until thoroughly mixed.
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Chop apple and celery into bite-sized pieces, and add to yogurt mixture.
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Toss well to combine.
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Spread kale into a ring, leaving an opening in the center.
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Divide apple mixture between the two dishes, places it in the center of the kale.
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Refrigerate for another 20 minutes.
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Sprinkle each with half of the pecans.
