CEiMB: Carrot, Green Apple, and Mint Salad

One of the really nice things about being a singleton is not having to factor in myriad likes and dislikes at the dinner table. I know in my family we all have our likes and dislikes: if you make something with whole wheat pasta or ground turkey, my dad acts like you're trying to punish him; my mom doesn't like any form of dumpling; my brother doesn't like grilled chicken; I don't like shellfish or dried beans; my sister emphatically refuses to eat fruit in any sort of savory dish. I remember one time I was having a "dinner party" for several of our friends. Being my very organized self, I made this salad ahead of time. My sister took a peek and said, "Oh, how cute, little green tomatoes. Where did you find little green tomatoes?" At this point, I was giggling, and she looked in closer, and with an expression of abject horror announced, "those aren't tomatoes! Those are GRAPES!" Dum, dum, dum. How could I make a salad, to serve where she would be present, that had grapes in it?! I've never understood why she can't eat around the fruit. That's what everyone else does. That's what I do with olives on my pizza. Sigh. I love fruit in my salads. I love mixing savory with sweet. So, as much as I adore my sister (and I do), I like being able to make salads with fruit in them without risking mortal offense.

I had a really hard time choosing my pick for Ellie this week. I was preoccupied with about 50 other things. I was trying to keep in mind other recent picks and avoid recipes that were similar, I didn't want to pick a dessert because I'm in a couple of separate baking groups, I wanted it to be easy and have a short ingredient list, and I wanted it to be seasonal. So, I narrowed it down to this salad and the garlic "fries." I knew that the "fries" would be a much more popular pick, but I also knew that if I didn't pick the fries, they have a much better chance of being chosen eventually than this salad. So, I took a deep breath and I chose the salad.

I loved this salad. I love that it involves ingredients that I always have on hand. I always have carrots and apples in my refrigerator, I always have Greek yogurt, and I have an ongoing love affair with mint, so there's a pot of it growing on my deck. What's more, carrots and apples are abundant at the farmers' market right now, so I have a lot of them hanging in the fridge, waiting to be used. The picture of this salad on the food network website SO does not jive with the picture that I had in my head when I chose this. I don't have a food processor, and I was picturing matchsticks, so I used a mandoline to julienne the carrots and apples. I used equal parts carrot and apple rather than 3/4 carrots to 1/4 apple. I don't like mayonaise, so I subbed a little sour cream for the mayo in the dressing. Other than that I followed the recipe, and it's very simple. I think it would be even more simple with a food processor!


The verdict? I really like this salad, and I think it's a nice alternative to coleslaw or green salad. The combination of carrots and apples with this dressing reminds me of a Waldorf salad, but the addition of the mint is what really took this salad over-the-top for me. (Side note: the November issue of Bon Appetit has a recipe for carrot and cranberry salad with fresh ginger dressing that I'm also really keen to make.)

I'm a huge fan of serving fruit with things like pork, duck, or even roasted chicken, and I think that this salad would be a nice accompaniment to any dinner that featured those meats. I also think it would be a nice contribution to a barbecue (that's the Texan in me coming out) or even with burgers. I will definitely make this salad again. The ultimate vote of confidence to this salad? Dudley feels the same way about mixing fruit with savory as my sister does. Not only did he eat this -- he got seconds. Thanks to everyone who made this with me this week!

Carrot, Green Apple, and Mint Salad

• 1/3 cup Greek yogurt (if you don't have Greek yogurt, you can strain plain nonfat yogurt)
  
• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  
• 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 1 pound carrots, peeled and trimmed
• 1 Granny Smith apple, cored
• 2 tablespoons roughly chopped fresh mint leaves
• Salt

(If you're using plain non-fat yogurt fold a full sheet of paper towel into quarters and place it in a small bowl. Spoon the yogurt on top of the paper towel. Place it in the refrigerator for 20 minutes so the yogurt can drain and thicken.)

In a small bowl whisk together the Greek (or thickened) yogurt and the mayonnaise, until smooth. Whisk in the lemon juice, vinegar, and honey.

Grate first the carrots and then the apples in a food processor. Transfer them to a large bowl and stir to combine. Pour the dressing over the carrot mixture and toss. Add the mint and season with salt.

Serve chilled.