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By Jennie Guido

I heard somewhere recently that if you take a vegetable in the south and toss it with mayo you’ve got a salad. And it’s true. Think about potato salad or cucumber salad.

While the thought of just straight mayo on a spoon makes my stomach turn, when it’s combined into a salad or a dressing, I’m fine with it. It’s actually pretty dang good!

The best part about this version of vegetable and mayo in a salad is that you can really make it your own. Not a fan of cranberries? Try raisins. Heck, try golden raisins if you’re feeling fancy.

Not much on pecans? Try sunflower or poppy seeds. You just need some crunch.

I also am pretty sparing on the red onion. It can tend to overpower the entire salad when left to refrigerate overnight. Some recipes I’ve read call for a scoop of sour cream. I leave that out altogether.

Plus, I prefer red wine vinegar over white wine vinegar. Before you know it, you’re just adding a dash of this, a spoonful of that, and making your very own version of this trusty broccoli salad.

Broccoli Salad

5-6 cups broccoli florets

1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

2/3 cup dried cranberries

1/2 cup crumbled bacon

1/2 cup roasted pecan halves, chopped

1/3 cup red onion, diced

For Dressing:

1 cup mayo

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

3 tablespoons sugar

Salt and pepper to taste

Combine broccoli, cheese, dried cranberries, bacon, pecans, and onion in a large bowl.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients until combined. Pour dressing over broccoli combination and toss. Refrigerate overnight to marinate the broccoli and for best flavor.

Broccoli facts:

• Broccoli is a good source of fiber and protein.
• Broccoli contains iron, potassium, calcium, selenium and magnesium.
• Broccoli is a good source of vitamins A, C, E, K and a number of the B vitamins, including folic acid.
• The United States ranks third in the world production of broccoli. China is first and India ranks second.

Jennie Guido writes a weekly column for the Natchez Democrat.