One of the many things we enjoy about our lake retreat is our neighbors. Our place is on the top floor of a three-level condo building so while we were renovating a few years back, our second and first floor neighbors had to endure countless hours of construction turmoil: hammering, sanding, grinding, and even jackhammering. Yes, I said jackhammering. And they managed to still be speaking to us when all was complete. Bless their hearts.
They watch out for us when we are not there, and that makes for a very real sense of security. They email us with important news and business and inform us of social gatherings when they arise. We definitely won the nice lottery when we got our neighbors.
Recently, our first floor neighbor Elaine shared a generous bowl of her Broccoli-Cauliflower Salad with us which we thoroughly enjoyed and have made for ourselves several times. It’s such a nice salad to have on hand for light lunches or dinners especially as really hot weather heads our way, and it makes for an easy way to work in tons of those veggies that we all need and should be eating. While Elaine uses a prepared dressing, you can easily make a Classic French Vinaigrette if you prefer.
I made a few additions to her recipe, and you probably will as well. One of the really enjoyable things about this salad is the option for changing it to suit your taste. I wonder what you will add or change.
- 1/4 cup white-wine vinegar (tarragon, dill and champagne vinegars work as well)
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped shallot
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 3/4 cup olive o
- Whisk together vinegar, shallot, salt, mustard, and pepper until salt is dissolved. Add oil in a slow stream, whisking until emulsified.
- Dressing keeps, covered and chilled, 1 month
- Options: Add 1 clove smashed, minced garlic. Herbs such as tarragon, dill, and basil may also be added with their corresponding vinegars for a nice variation.
- 1 12-ounce package broccoli and cauliflower medley or equal portions broccoli and cauliflower florets
- 4 large carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
- 4-5 green onions, thinly sliced
- 4-5 mixed mini pepper, seeded and sliced into 1/2-inch pieces (or equal parts red, yellow or orange bell peppers)
- 3-4 stalks celery, thinly sliced
- 5-6 ounces of cherub tomatoes (or very small cherry or grape tomatoes)
- 1/2 cup chiffonade of Genovese basil (or tarragon or dill)
- 1 cup thinly sliced yellow squash
- 1 cup thinly sliced zucchini
- 1/2 cup sliced black olives, optional
- Combine all ingredients in a sealable bowl.
- Mix in Classic French Vinaigrette (as desired). Refrigerate until serving.
- Stir before serving.
- Elaine uses prepared Brianna's French Vinaigrette which works quite well.
- This keeps quite well for several days in the refrigerator.
- Options: blanched asparagus, jicama matchsticks
