Quick Crunchy Apple Salad

Fall. The real fall, not the Nashville pretend-fall where it's still 85 degrees. The leaves are turning and the air has that quality that makes you want to bake something. My oven has been working overtime — muffins, bread, casseroles, the things that fill an apartment with warmth when the warmth outside is fading. Baking is my September therapy. Other people see therapists. I see my oven.

Elijah is rolling over. Front to back, with the determination of a tiny wrestler executing a maneuver he's been practicing for weeks. He lands on his back and looks surprised every time, as if gravity's involvement is news. The rolling is the first real milestone of independence — the first time the baby MOVES himself, the first time he goes somewhere that wasn't where you put him. I put him on his tummy and he rolls to his back and he's six inches from where I left him and those six inches are the beginning of a lifetime of going places I didn't plan. It starts with six inches. It ends with college.

Chloe's remote school has settled into a rhythm. Mrs. Odom is good — patient, organized, the kind of teacher who understands that fourth graders on Zoom need more engagement and less lecture. Chloe is thriving academically (all As) but wilting socially. She hasn't seen friends in person in six months. Six months is a geological age in child-time. She talks to two girls from school on the phone — Amira (the same Amira from the community screening? No, different Amira, school friend Amira) and a girl named Sophie. They have phone playdates where they read the same book simultaneously and discuss it in real time. My daughter invented a long-distance book club at age eight. I am both impressed and heartbroken.

Jayden's kindergarten report: his teacher Mrs. Park says he's "making progress with letter recognition" and "continues to bring enthusiasm to group activities." Translation: he's learning to read slowly and he's still the loudest kid in the Zoom. I'll take it. Progress and enthusiasm. If those are the only two things he gets from pandemic kindergarten, I'll take them both and call it a win.

I made apple crisp — Earline's recipe, the fall tradition. Granny Smiths from the grocery delivery, brown sugar oat topping, cinnamon that filled every room. Last year I made it while pregnant and afraid. This year I make it while nursing a three-month-old and exhausted. The apple crisp doesn't care about my state. It just wants apples, butter, and an oven. The simplicity of its demands is a comfort. I wish everything in my life asked only for apples, butter, and an oven.

Earline’s apple crisp is the anchor of every fall in this house — but apples in autumn have a way of showing up in more than one form, and when I needed something I could pull together fast between Elijah’s naps and Chloe’s Zoom sessions, this Quick Crunchy Apple Salad became the weekday answer to the same craving. It has that same snap of Granny Smith, that same brown sugar warmth — just no oven required. Some days the oven is full. Some days you just need the apple.

Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 0 minutes | Total Time: 10 minutes | Servings: 6

Ingredients

3 large Granny Smith apples, cored and diced (unpeeled)
2 large Honeycrisp or Fuji apples, cored and diced (unpeeled)
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans, toasted
1/3 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 tablespoon honey or brown sugar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch of salt

Instructions

Prep the apples. Core and dice all apples into bite-sized pieces, leaving the skin on for color and crunch. Place immediately into a large bowl and toss with the lemon juice to prevent browning.
Add the mix-ins. Add the chopped celery, toasted nuts, and dried cranberries to the bowl with the apples. Toss gently to distribute.
Make the dressing. In a small bowl, whisk together the Greek yogurt, mayonnaise, honey (or brown sugar), cinnamon, and a pinch of salt until smooth and well combined.
Dress the salad. Pour the dressing over the apple mixture and fold gently until everything is evenly coated. Taste and adjust sweetness or cinnamon as needed.
Chill and serve. Serve immediately for maximum crunch, or refrigerate for up to 1 hour before serving. Stir gently before plating.

Nutrition (per serving)

Quick Crunchy Apple Salad — The Taste of Earline’s Fall Tradition