This is great served with Barbecued Pork Ribs (page 84) or prepared to take to a covered dish supper, because it’s sturdy enough to stand at room temperature for a while without wilting. It also adds great color to a picnic spread.

　　

Ingredients

serves 10

　　1/2 pound bacon

　　2 cups small broccoli florets

　　1 cup mayonnaise

　　1 tablespoon cider vinegar

　　1/3 cup chopped onion

　　1/4 cup sugar

　　3/4 cup raisins

　　1/2 cup sunflower kernels

　　

Step 1

In a medium skillet, cook the bacon over medium heat just until crisp; drain on paper towels. When cool enough to handle, crumble the bacon and set aside.

　　

Step 2

Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil. Add the broccoli and blanch until bright green and slightly softened, about 3 minutes. Drain well, run under cold water to stop the cooking, and drain again.

　　

Step 3

In a mixing bowl, combine the mayonnaise, vinegar, onion, sugar, and raisins. Add the broccoli and toss to coat with the dressing. Refrigerate for 1 hour.

　　

Step 4

Just before serving, fold in the sunflower kernels and all but 2 tablespoons of the crumbled bacon. Sprinkle the reserved bacon over the salad to garnish. Serve immediately.

　　

From Beth

Step 5

Low-fat mayonnaise can be substituted for regular without significantly changing the taste or texture.

　　Reprinted with permission from Georgia Cooking in an Oklahoma Kitchen: Recipes from My Family to Yours by Trisha Yearwood with Gwen Yearwood and Beth Yearwood Bernard. Copyright © 2008 by Trisha Yearwood. Published by Crown Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved.Trisha Yearwood is a three-time Grammy-award winning country music star and the author of the bestselling cookbook Georgia Cooking in an Oklahoma Kitchen. She is married to megastar Garth Brooks.