Carrot Broccoli Salad -- Made for the Gathering, Where Everyone Brings Something

Mid-October. Two weeks to the Gathering. Hog delivered Friday. I prepped the smoker.

Cohort week six. The 58-year-old's sculpture is taking shape — a wall piece of clouds and rain, the rain in steel rods, the clouds in cut sheet metal. She is doing it for a community room at her church. Henry's fire poker is half finished. The new students are humming.

Tuesday I drove to Tulsa for the documentary interview. Three hours in front of a camera at a studio downtown. The filmmaker — a young Cherokee woman named Anita — asked good questions. She asked about Danny. She asked about the land. She asked about the welding. She asked about why I made the memory project pieces. I answered. I do not love being on camera but Anita made it easier. The film will be released next year. I will go to the screening if there is one.

Wednesday Caleb came over. He had been thinking. He said: I want to do something I haven't done. He said: I want to come to the Gathering and lead a session. I said: doing what. He said: pottery. He said: I want to teach a small hand-built pottery session. Coil pots. Simple. He said: my class instructor would loan us clay. I said: do it. He said: you don't mind. I said: I want this. He said: okay. The Gathering is becoming a place where the people who matter to me bring what they know. Caleb teaching pottery is the next layer.

The hog was delivered Friday and the smoker was ready, but a good smoke feeds a crowd and a crowd needs more than just meat — you need something crisp and cold to cut through it, something that can sit in a bowl all afternoon and still taste right when people finally pull up to the table. This carrot broccoli salad has shown up at every Gathering we’ve held. Caleb has eaten it more times than he could count. It’s the kind of dish that doesn’t announce itself, it just belongs there, the same way the people who keep coming back do.

Carrot Broccoli Salad

Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 0 min | Total Time: 15 min (plus 1 hr chill) | Servings: 8

Ingredients

• 4 cups broccoli florets, cut small
• 2 cups shredded carrots (about 3 medium carrots)
• 1/2 cup red onion, finely diced
• 1/2 cup raisins or dried cranberries
• 1/2 cup roasted sunflower seeds
• 6 slices bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled
• 3/4 cup mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

1. Make the dressing. In a small bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, apple cider vinegar, sugar, salt, and pepper until smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning. Set aside.
2. Prep the vegetables. Cut broccoli into small, bite-sized florets. Shred carrots on a box grater or use pre-shredded. Finely dice the red onion.
3. Combine. In a large bowl, toss together broccoli, carrots, red onion, raisins (or dried cranberries), sunflower seeds, and crumbled bacon.
4. Dress the salad. Pour dressing over the salad and toss until everything is evenly coated. Don’t be shy — this salad drinks up the dressing as it chills.
5. Chill. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving. This step matters — the flavors come together and the broccoli softens just enough while keeping its bite.
6. Serve. Give it one more toss before setting it out. It holds well for several hours at a cookout, which is exactly the point.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 280 | Protein: 6g | Fat: 21g | Carbs: 18g | Fiber: 3g | Sodium: 340mg