Waldorf salad - and variations

[plum tart]

Several times a year, I make Waldorf Salad for my friend Lyndsay. She doesn't cook herself but she loves waldorf salad - the way she remembers having it in the fifties when she was a child. She wants crisp apples, celery, walnuts a hint of tartness, and a hint of sweetness. She doesn't want it messed up with marshmallows, grapes or raisons or other variations that are out there.

So I use two kinds of crisp apples so it is visually attractive- Honey Crisp for red, Granny Smith for green, home made mayonnaise made with grapeseed oil and extra lemon juice, a touch of dijon mustard and a little cream. I add some honey for the sweetness and a little walnut oil. Of course, I include chopped celery and lightly toasted and chopped walnuts.

Lyndsay likes it that way and so do I. We eat it with homemake Wiener Schnitzel. Somehow, they taste good together with a glass of German riesling.

[Lilija]

I really love a good plain Waldorf, apples, celery, walnuts, raisins, and just mayo and a pinch of salt as dressing. I mean, I really love it. One of my favorite comfort foods. When I'm feeling energetic, I'll make it for myself for lunch. My husband hates it, though, and he won't budge. Normally, if there's something he dislikes, I'll interview him about it, like breaking down the elements, to see if there's any way I can fix it, and normally we can reach an accord. On Waldorf salad, he says "I just hate it. The texture, the mayo, the mix of flavors. Nothing is going to save it."

Hope springs eternal. I'm reading through this thread, and getting ideas, and I think I'm going to spring different versions on him, NOT call it Waldorf salad, and hope for the best.

[Jaymes]

I really love a good plain Waldorf, apples, celery, walnuts, raisins, and just mayo and a pinch of salt as dressing. I mean, I really love it. One of my favorite comfort foods. When I'm feeling energetic, I'll make it for myself for lunch. My husband hates it, though, and he won't budge. Normally, if there's something he dislikes, I'll interview him about it, like breaking down the elements, to see if there's any way I can fix it, and normally we can reach an accord. On Waldorf salad, he says "I just hate it. The texture, the mayo, the mix of flavors. Nothing is going to save it."

Hope springs eternal. I'm reading through this thread, and getting ideas, and I think I'm going to spring different versions on him, NOT call it Waldorf salad, and hope for the best.

I'd start by asking if he likes apples. And celery. And walnuts. Separately.

If not, I don't see much hope for you.

But if he does like apples, and celery, and walnuts, then perhaps a lighter, less-obtrusive dressing, and not much of it.

If he does like the ingredients separately, then I'd suggest that you have him sample some various dressings - some a little tarter, some sweeter, some thinner, some less "mayonnaisey," etc. Does he like cole slaw? Most Waldorf dressings have some things in common with mayonnaise-based cole slaws. If he can't stand that either, you've undoubtedly got your work cut out for you.

Good luck.

[Lilija]

I'd start by asking if he likes apples. And celery. And walnuts. Separately.

If not, I don't see much hope for you.

But if he does like apples, and celery, and walnuts, then perhaps a lighter, less-obtrusive dressing, and not much of it.

If he does like the ingredients separately, then I'd suggest that you have him sample some various dressings - some a little tarter, some sweeter, some thinner, some less "mayonnaisey," etc. Does he like cole slaw? Most Waldorf dressings have some things in common with mayonnaise-based cole slaws. If he can't stand that either, you've undoubtedly got your work cut out for you.

Good luck.

Good ideas. He does like the components separately, in fact I often put nuts, raisins, craisins, or grapes, and apples in regular salads. He's not huge into mayonnaise, and I'm aware of that, though he does like mayo based salads, otherwise. The other thing is he won't eat raw celery by itself. He'll eat it in salads, if it's fine, or cooked in dishes. I recently found a recipe for a autumnal style using craisins, and a gingery spicy vinagrette. It might be the middle ground I'm looking for, if I dice the celery up finer than usual. It would be nice to find a middle ground and serve it sometimes with dinner, or hell, even as dinner. Maybe it's just the celery... My gears are turning now. Thanks!

[helenjp]

How did the Waldorf experimentation go? My husband is no fan of celery either, and I often add some fresh, crisp cabbage to keep the celery flavor within acceptable bounds for him. I like the idea of ginger.

We dined tonight on a Jane Grigson recipe for an avocado mayonnaise with a salade cauchoise (celery, boiled potato, apples, walnuts, ham or cold cooked pork).

I made the avocado mayonnaise differently (lemon and oil as usual, but only one avocado instead of two, and a little yogurt). That's about as much avocado as I can eat, but it was just too low-impact. Anybody else fond of avocado mayonnaise, and would you, could you, eat what is pretty much a green Waldorf salad? I think I'd rather have the avocado in chunks in the salad.

Any other mayonnaise variations that go well in a Waldorf salad?