When I was growing up back in the fifties in suburban Cincinnati, Memorial Day was known as Decoration Day. That was the day our family made the annual trek to Dayton, Ohio to visit relatives and to “decorate” graves of our ancestors with fresh garden flowers. Mom and dad piled us older kids in the back seat of dad’s Chevrolet and if I remember correctly, my brother, Charlie, the youngest, sat in front between them.

Now this was the time before super highways so the trip took all day. 

Nestled in the trunk was a cast iron kettle filled with stuffed cabbage rolls. Fried kibbi patties, tabouleh, seasonal fruit and plain white bread rounded out the picnic menu. We’d stop to eat at one of the roadside parks along the way. 

Today we celebrate Memorial Day by attending outdoor service, weather permitting, at St. Philomena church here in Clermont County. A gun salute to fallen veterans follows mass, and this meaningful gesture starts the day out just right.

Memorial Day kicks off the picnic season and a lot of you will be celebrating with an outdoor meal. Most likely a whole lot simpler than stuffed cabbage rolls and fried kibbi! 

Along with grilled offerings, side salads that can be prepared early in the day are perfect go-alongs. And because I’ve had requests for totable broccoli salads, I’m sharing 2 for you to choose from. Both can be made early in the day.

Buffet broccoli salad with bacon and cheese

Our go-to picnic salad.

Ingredients 

Salad:

1 large head of broccoli, cut into small florets 

1 small red onion, diced fine

8 oz cheddar or fontina cheese, shredded

1/2 pound bacon, fried and crumbled

Dressing:

1 cup mayonnaise

1/2 cup sugar

1/3 cup red wine vinegar or to taste

Instructions

Mix salad ingredients.
Whisk dressing ingredients, then pour over salad. Toss well. 

Broccoli cauliflower salad with grapes and yogurt dressing.

A yummy salad with the tangy dressing offset by the sweetness of grapes. 

Salad:

1/2 pound bacon, fried and crumbled

1/2 head each: cauliflower and broccoli, cut into small florets

Up to 3 cups seedless red grapes, halved

1 small red onion, diced fine

Up to 1 cup chopped pecans 

1 small English cucumber, diced (you may not need all)

Cheddar cheese, shredded

Dressing: 

If your cauliflower and broccoli are real large, double        

the dressing – it’s good on slaw, too.

1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/3 cup red wine vinegar

1 tablespoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme or couple sprigs, fresh

Salt and pepper 

Instructions

Mix salad ingredients.

Whisk dressing ingredients, then pour over salad. Toss well.

Tip: toss again before serving

Dig deep to get all the goodies that tend to sink to the bottom.

Lazarus cafe broccoli raisin salad

This iconic salad originated as a popular salad during the time Lazarus (now Macy’s) Department Stores had in-store restaurants in Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana. 

Ingredients

1 cup mayonnaise

1/2 cup sugar

1 tablespoon vinegar

2 bunches fresh broccoli, cut into small florets

1/2 pound cooked and crumbled bacon

1 small onion, finely diced

7-1/2 oz or so rasins

Instructions

Just mix mayo, sugar and vinegar together. Then combine rest of ingredients and gently fold in dressing.\