I know broccoli salad has been around forever, but I wanted to share this particular recipe as an homage to my mom. She’s the person who taught me to love vegetables, and I’m always looking for new ways to enjoy them. This dish is retro, ridiculously delicious, and respectful of this sculpted member of the cabbage family. Appearance-wise, broccoli seems like it could stem from an artist’s imagination of a wild garden. But it’s a workhorse vegetable: always good, always dependable, always admired dating back to its origins in 6th century BC. For some reason, this leafy green favorite has not enjoyed the comeback popularity of cauliflower or Brussels sprouts, and I can’t figure out why. Maybe we can help. This recipe highlights the satisfying crunch I love and the florets soak up all the good flavors, both the sweet of the cranberries and the savory of the bacon, so that I almost forget I’m eating a vegetable. It’s that good.