Blue Moon Waldorf Salad

I have tried, time and time again, to get into blue cheese. 

I tried it on fancy sesame crackers.

I tried it with bacon, back when I dabbled in calling myself a carnivore.

I even tried it on a fancy open faced sandwich.

But, try as I might, I just can't get into it.  So, for this Blue Moon Waldorf Salad, I decided to save my pretty pennies and skip the blue cheese part altogether.

I hope you can forgive me for this major deviation from the written recipe.

I started by dicing up a crunchy apple and a juuuust right pear.

I know that pear looks a little janky. 

But it was divine. 

I sought out bits of it when I tasted this salad. 

So juicy. So fine. 

Don't judge a pear by its skin!

The fruit got mixed up with raisins, minced celery, toasted walnuts, and a big splash of fresh lemon juice. Then the dressing: plain yogurt, a touch of mayo, and a touch of honey. That's it! No spices. No salt. Just a simple salad for your enjoyment.

Check it out folks!

This is the last of the four Moosewood Waldorf variations. I really enjoyed all four of them ... it's hard to choose a favorite!

Here are the other three Waldorfs:

Vegetable Waldorf Salad

Waldorf Deluxe

California Waldorf Salad

Which one did you like the most?

Open-Faced Blue Cheese Sandwich with Pears

I'm fried from a full day! Thought I'd quickly share an easy way to make a simple but complex tasting sandwich. I'm not big on blue cheese, but this Open-Faced Blue Cheese Sandwich with Pears caught my attention. It's part one in the two sandwich series "Blue Cheese Heaven" from the New Moosewood Cookbook.

Start by toasting a slice of your favorite bread. Mine, as I have mentioned, is Dave's Killer Bread.

Then combine equal amount of blue cheese, cream cheese, and toasted walnuts. Spread these on the bread.

Slice up a perfectly ripe pear. Squeeze some fresh lemon juice on the slices. Arrange them artfully. I chose the "ray of light" theme for mine.

Lastly, you put it in your face! This sandwich was filling. I just can't get into blue cheese though!  I'm gonna keep trying ... For my health!