savory sunday // apple and manchego salad

Today's post is one of my very favorite salads, but it doesn't look like much so you guys have to trust me. Seriously. I have been waiting a while to cart this recipe out because I know it looks boring and tedious, but it is so delicious, and if I had a teenager or child who was trustworthy with knives in the house, I would force them to make this for me at least once a week.I first had this salad at Bar Lurcat, which serves AMAZING food, by the way, so again, trust me. The party we were with ordered this and were gushing about it and I was thinking, "Really? Because it just looks like apples. Why would you order that at a restaurant?" And then I tried it. And WOW.And then I was at a baby shower a while back and the hostess served it! And I stole the recipe. So please make this. And enjoy!You'll need some apples (Pink Lady apples work fantastic for this) and a large hunk of Manchego cheese. You'll also need a handful of fresh chives, a dash of olive oil and a dash of salt. Oh! And if you are making this an hour or so ahead of time, squeeze some fresh lemon on the chopped apples to stop them from browning.In terms of proportions, I use one apple for two people and then I try to keep the cheese/apple ratio at a little less than (heavier on the apple) 1:1. So for a party of six, you would want three apples and about as much cheese as you see above (or maybe a touch more). For Jamie and I, I use one apple and about 1/3 of that chunk of cheese. Make sense?Now, for the tedious part. You chop the apples into matchstick slices. Like so.Next, chop the cheese into matchstick-shaped pieces. It will crumble. That's ok. It is still delicious.Oh! I should also mention that once the cheese is divided, you should put the remaining hunk away in the fridge so that your Vizsla doesn't steal it from the counter because Manchego is her very favorite (just like her mama).Mix the apple and cheese slices in a medium bowl and then hold the chives over the bowl and use your kitchen scissors to cut the chives into the bowl. The amount of chives is really up to you -- I love garlic and onions, so I do about as much as you see here -- but you could do less.After adding the chives, add in 1-2 tbsp olive oil and salt to taste and toss.Voila! Sooo delicious. I wish I could tell you how it holds up for leftovers. But I never have any.This is about 360 calories a serving. AND WORTH IT. You can also use a bit less cheese to take the calories down, but good lord be careful about that. Manchego is a gift from the Gods, people.For your internet share today, how about a link to this bacon and pea pizza? It's kinda like that pasta I made a few weeks back, but, um, PIZZA YUM. Enjoy!