This quick, crisp salad is easy to make with foods you might have on hand. Its stunning color and high nutritional value make it popular at summer potlucks, which often are heavy on meats and desserts but low on healthy veggie dishes.

WHAT YOU NEED: Feel free to tinker with quantities!

1 lemon

1 apple, a crisp sweet variety, such as honeycrisp, pink lady, or gala

water – 1 or more cups (to cover apples)

1 – 2 teaspoons honey or agave (to taste)

¼ cup raisins (I like red flame best.)

about 1 pound carrots (I used a little less here, about 9 medium carrots.)

4 stalks celery

1 scant tablespoon olive oil (or less, can omit)

2 tablespoons unsalted, dry-roasted sunflower and/or pumpkin seeds

WHAT YOU DO

Juice ½ lemon and add to medium-sized bowl.  Add 1 cup water to bowl and stir.

Chop apple and add chopped apple to bowl of lemon water.

If chopped apple isn’t submerged, add more water.  Set bowl of chopped apples in lemon water aside.

Juice another ½ lemon and add juice to a small bowl. To balance lemon’s tartness, add a little honey or agave to lemon juice. Stir lemon juice and sweetener together. Set aside.

Wash, peel, and grate carrots. Put grated carrots in large bowl.

Wash and slice celery. Add sliced celery to the bowl of grated carrots.

Drain chopped apples. Add drained, chopped apples to carrots and celery. (You can save the lemon-water and sweeten and chill it for drinking later.) Add raisins, too.

Add olive oil.

Toss carrots, celery, apples, and raisins to coat with oil. Add lemon juice/sweetener mixture from small bowl. Toss again. If serving immediately, add garnish. Otherwise, chill and garnish right before serving.