For our family birthday / Memorial Day party, I decided to make a large serving of Cornbread Salad, which my sister, Ann, and I learned about at Shirley’s Restaurant on Watauga Lake near our home in Roan Mountain. I made a double batch of cornbread the night before and left it on the counter to dry out a bit. The rest is easy. First, crumble the cornbread into a large bowl.
Chop up vegetables, such as tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini, peppers, onion, red onion — almost any raw edible vegetable. Don’t forget some chopped parsley and/or cilantro.
Throw the veggies into the cornbread.
Add Ranch dressing. You can use bottled. I make my own, since it’s only buttermilk, mayo, garlic powder, Italian spices, salt, pepper, and whatever else is handy on the spice rack.
Toss and refrigerate.
It’s perfect for a picnic or side — a hillbilly salad from the Tennessee mountains. 
I’m hoping even this little fellow (below) will enjoy it. We almost share a birthday! He’s my youngest grandchild, Liam, age two, born nine days before me on the calendar.
