One of my favorite parts of book club every month is planning the menu beforehand.

And since we meet once a month, it’s fun trying to conjure up something new, maybe even a little unexpected. Since many of the main dishes fall squarely into the comfort food genre, I try and serve a salad as a lighter counterpoint.

While I am a salad lover, however, I’m the first to admit they can get a little boring. So that’s the challenge I’ve given myself for book club: No More Boring Salads!

Thankfully for last month’s meet-up I got by with a little help from my friend and fellow food enthusiast, Dawne, who lives back in the North Country. This salad is a regular part of her rotation, so she printed out and mailed me the recipe, so I could give it a try.

I’m so glad she did.

This Waldorf salad screams Minnesota with its beloved honeycrisp apples (which, fun fact, were developed at the University of Minnesota), dried cranberries, light and creamy apple cider vinaigrette, and homemade walnut pumpkin seed brittle (with a little maple syrup) that really helps set it apart.

While slightly more labor intensive than your average throw-what’s-left-in-the-crisper-on-your-plate affair, there’s nothing difficult about making this thoroughly modern Waldorf. I shake up this wildly addictive dressing in a Mason jar, leave the peel on the apple, and make sure to buy the pomegranate arils that have already been plucked from the fruit.

Aside from that, you’re chopping a bit of celery, halving some grapes, and you get a showstopper of a salad that’s perfect for any occasion. Even just a Friday night at home.

Pro tip: If you double the batch of brittle, you’ll have an extra-yummy topping for your morning yogurt.