Broccoli Slaw

I've been enjoying the Smitten Kitchen Cookbook this week. There are several recipes that I would love to try from Deb Perelman's book, but this is the only one I've tried so far - and I've made it twice. This is the broccoli salad that you have either made for family gatherings or you've eaten at family gatherings. It is such a familiar salad, yet I didn't have a recipe for it and I'm not sure that it would have crossed my mind to try and find one.

I am happy to report that this recipe is as good as you remember... better, in fact. The first batch I made was so enticing to me, I had a big bowl of it before bed. And then I lay there, not sleeping, cursing myself, wondering what had possessed me to eat that much broccoli at 9:30 at night. Proceed with caution.

Broccoli Slaw

2 heads broccoli (about 1 pound)
1/2 cup toasted almonds
1/3 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup mayo
2 Tbsp cider vinegar
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp fine sea salt
1/2 small red onion, finely chopped
Lots of freshly ground black pepper

Trim the broccoli and chop it into large chunks; then cut each chunk into thin slices. I usually cut the stems into thin slices, then stack the slices and cut them in the other direction, into thin matchsticks (I was too precise with these instructions).

Toss the broccoli with the almonds and cranberries. In a small bowl, whisk the buttermilk, mayo, vinegar, sugar, and salt until smooth. Stir in the onion. You can let the onion marinate in the dressing for 10 minutes, to mellow it. Pour the dressing over the broccoli mixture, and add a generous amount of black pepper. Stir the salad until the broccoli is evenly coated with the dressing. Serve immediately, or keep covered in the fridge for 2-3 days.