Waldorf Salad

I've been making Waldorf Salad ever since the 70s.  It's a recipe that has always been easy to remember as it was clearly stated in a very funny episode of the British sitcom, Fawlty Towers.  In a nutshell (or perhaps a walnut shell?), innkeeper Basil Fawlty encounters a very rude and demanding American, Mr. Hamilton, who first requests a drink -- a screwdriver -- of which he had never heard, and then baffles him completely by ordering a Waldorf Salad. After informing him that the hotel is “out of Waldorfs," Hamilton barks at him that it is “celery, apples, walnuts, grapes, in a mayonnaise sauce.”  

Essentially, that’s it.  Easy, right?  And it is easy, but a couple of additions can make this salad a touch better than the classic version first created circa 1893 at the Waldorf Hotel in New York City. The quality of the produce makes all the difference, along with a switch from seedless red grapes to champagne grapes (that literally burst with juice and sweetness, and are so adorably cute!), will really enhance this salad.

Here’s my version:

Waldorf Salad

1 cup diced celery
1 cup diced, cored, tart apples
1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
1/2 cup Melissa’s Champagne grapes

1 teaspoon sugar

¼ cup heavy cream, whipped until thick

¼ cup mayonnaise

A pinch of freshly grated lemon zest

A pinch of cinnamon

Combine celery, apples, walnuts, grapes, zest, and sugar in a medium bowl. Stir together cream and mayonnaise, and toss with the salad mixture.  Top with a few gratings (or pinch) of good cinnamon.  Serve on a lettuce leaf with additional champagne grapes as a garnish, at room temperature or chilled.

This post is linked to:

On the Menu Monday

Totally Tasty Tuesdays

Try a New Recipe Tuesday

Foodie Friday