For all of you Clever Girls out there itching for a new recipe, may I offer you the Maine Dish.
For years the Broccoli Waldorf Salad at the always super tasty Damariscotta River Grill in Maine has haunted me. In the long stretch of dark winter days, I crave this tasty, crunchy, tantalizingly simple side dish that I always enjoy whenever I visit the coast. However, I could never quite put my finger on what exactly made it so good. Many times I have tried to re-create this at home to no avail--something was missing--but what? It took Robin Jones to crack the code.
Robin, a dear friend, and year-round resident of Maine, had strong cooking roots from the deep south. Leave it to her to figure out what I had been missing...the secret ingredient if you will...maple syrup! What follows is the perfect side salad, inspired by the River Grill, and perfected by Robin. The apples make it tart, the broccoli gives it crunch, the Cranberries add a chewy texture, and the dressing is light and refreshing--not heavy at all. Super simple. Super good.
Robin, a dear friend, and year-round resident of Maine, had strong cooking roots from the deep south. Leave it to her to figure out what I had been missing...the secret ingredient if you will...maple syrup! What follows is the perfect side salad, inspired by the River Grill, and perfected by Robin. The apples make it tart, the broccoli gives it crunch, the Cranberries add a chewy texture, and the dressing is light and refreshing--not heavy at all. Super simple. Super good.
Cranberry Broccoli Salad
12 to 14 ounces of raw broccoli floret's cut into bite sized pieces
Cut 2 Granny Smith or your favorite apples into small pieces (I leave peel on)
Chop about 1 cup of carrots
A couple handfuls of dried cranberries
1/2 - 3/4 cup of mayonnaise
2 - 3 tablespoons of real maple syrup
Mix all ingredients in a large bowl.
Enjoy!
