Welcome to My Kitchen: Broccoli Grape Salad

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BY PATTY BEUTLER/Lincoln Journal Star

Say “picnic,” and the first thing that pops into Susan Ferris’ mind is Broccoli Grape Salad.

Add graduation party,  potluck and family gathering to the recitation, and multiple images of the colorful dish dance in her head.

In fact, just last week she made it twice —once for a Ferris family dinner and the second time for the Great Plains Woodturners’ annual picnic (note the beautiful bowl and platter in the vidcast, courtesy of her husband, Michael.) 

If there’s a July 4th celebration in your plans, look no further for what to bring to the gathering.

Not only is this salad a cinch to make, it serves a lot of people and holds up well.

“We almost never have any left over,” Ferris said, “but if we do it stays great for a few days in the refrigerator.”

She adapted the recipe from “Cookin’ in the Canyon,” a cookbook by the Gallatin Canyon Women’s Clubs of Gallatin County, Mont.

Ferris doubles and triples the vegetables from the original recipe but does not increase the quantity of the dressing ingredients.

That’s a formula for success.

“One of the reasons I think that people like this salad so much is that the dressing is light, and the flavors of the broccoli and green onion and grapes come through so well,” she said.

For variations, green grapes would work, as would raisins, she said, but the combination of red grapes and green broccoli makes this dish as pretty to look at as it is delicious to eat.

And the ease of preparation is clearly a plus.

“This is a recipe that even the most beginning cook can make successfully the first time,” Ferris said.

Reach Patty Beutler at 473-7307 or pbeutler@journalstar.com.

Broccoli Grape Salad

2 to 3 stalks broccoli

4 to 5 green onions, chopped

2 cups red seedless grapes

1 cup chopped celery

2 ounces sliced or slivered almonds, toasted

Dressing:

1 cup mayonnaise

1 tablespoon vinegar

1/3 cup sugar

Toast almonds in a skillet over low-medium heat. Remove from pan to cool on a plate.

Chop broccoli into bite-size pieces and put into a large serving bowl. Add chopped onion, grapes, celery and two-thirds of the almonds.

Mix dressing and add to broccoli and grape mixture.

The salad can be refrigerated and served the next day.

Garnish with the remaining almonds just before serving.

— adapted from “Cookin’ in the Canyon,” a cookbook by the Gallatin Canyon Women’s Clubs of Gallatin County, Mont.