First order of business, the winner of the Janery giveaway.

Drumroll drrr…brrr…drrr… Lorie Smith, enjoy your new Janery pet or home product(s)!  Congrats, and thank you so much Jane for a lovely giveaway!

Second, how about a recipe?  I’m certainly no chef, but when a quick and simple few ingredient recipe works, I’m delighted.  Back in February, I posted this photo of a crazy simple salad on Instagram.  Several people asked for the recipe, and I thought the first day of May (and warmer months) was the perfect time.

In all honesty, this is a salad I had tried at Cafe Lurcat in Minneapolis, so this is my version:

4 of your favorite apples  

3 to 4 ounces Manchego cheese

4 tablespoons chives, finely chopped

1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

optional:

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

1 teaspoon lemon juice

Creating this salad is as easy as cutting apples and cheese into thin match sticks.  After cutting, toss with oil, vinegar, and lemon juice.  Add in the chives, salt, and pepper.

My notes and preferences: I’ve tried just Granny Smith, but like a slightly sweeter apple (Fuji or Gala) to offset the cheese.  To add just a little tartness to sweet apples, add the vinegar.  It’s just enough to balance.  If your apples are cold, feel free to skip the lemon juice.  For room temperature apples, add the lemon juice to prevent browning while cooling in the fridge for an hour or two.  Add more onion flavor with extra chives or even part of a finely minced shallot.

This salad is so light, bright, and refreshing, perfect for a summer get together.  And with 10 minutes of prep time, it doesn’t get much easier while still looking (and sounding) impressive.