I’ve made so many freaking variations of this Waldorf salad—with pineapple like my sister taught me, with blood oranges in the winter, with Asian pear, and now for Rosh Hashanah. With apples and honey. I normally don’t add any sweeteners to the dressing, because the fruits give it the sweetness it needs. But in the spirit of the holiday—and because I found a local unpasteurized honey that I’m obsessed with—I thought, a little bit more sweetness is going to make my family and guests happier. 

I also added dried juniper berries. Juniper berries aren’t real berries; they’re the seed cones of the juniper tree. They have an incredible flavor of pine needles and citrus peel. When you bite into them, their flavor coats your mouth in a botanical, woody haze, then mellows into fruitiness and spice. You can find them in health food markets, usually in bulk, or on Amazon.

Boy oh boy, this salad is too good for my own good. I made it for dinner but nibbled on it all afternoon. Ooh, that’s another great thing about it: you can prepare it in advance. It can sit in the fridge overnight and still be delicious and crunchy the next day. The lemon juice and apple cider vinegar preserve it well.

Later, after my second serving, I thought a hint of cinnamon would be nice. Or not. Honestly, it didn’t need anything else. The less distraction the better.