Deconstructed Waldorf Salad with Amy's Blue Cheese Dressing

makes one platter serving 6–8 people as an appetizer or brunch side dish with enough dressing for leftovers (3 cups); adapted from Food & Wine magazine, December 2010

Ingredients

1 shallot, minced 2 tablespoons
2 tablespoons white wine or Champagne vinegar
¾ cup buttermilk
¾ cup mayonnaise Best Foods
¾ cup sour cream Straus Family Creamery or Horizon
6 ounces blue cheese, crumbled Point Reyes Original Blue
a couple pinches of flake salt and a few grinds of fresh black pepper

Waldorf Salad items:

1 small head radicchio (“radicchio rosso di chiogga”) or treviso (“radicchio rosso di treviso”), with the elongated leaves
4 endive, bottom trimmed and leaves separated
2 apples, cored and sliced and spritzed with ½ a lemon to prevent discoloration
grapes, cut into personal-sized clusters
toasted walnuts 350°F for 10 minutes

Instructions

Amy's Blue Cheese Dressing

Macerate the minced shallots in the vinegar for 10 minutes—this mellows out the shallot.
Mix together the buttermilk, mayonnaise, and sour cream in a bowl or 4-cup glass measure. Crumble in the blue cheese, add the macerated shallots and vinegar, and mix and mash using a whisk or spoon. Season with salt and black pepper. Refrigerate until ready to use. (This dressing will keep for a week, refrigerated.)

Deconstructed Waldorf Salad

Assemble on a platter: radicchio and endive leaves, apple slices, grape clusters, and toasted walnuts. Set bowl of blue cheese dressing in center or nearby. Enjoy!