A Kingdom of Broccoli

In a season of greens, broccoli rules the farm with it's flashy crowns. Though the florets are the most popular in recipes, I'll tell you a little known secret- the stem is the best part. Perhaps unconventional, I eat the stems- raw or cooked- and toss the florets. I jest, but it pains me to read the part in broccoli recipes where we are directed to "discard" the thick stems. I suppose if I was cooking with food that has sat and become tough, I would "discard" too. Queens are not accustomed to waiting, so as the adage goes... "off with their heads."

Lucky for us, our broccoli stems are sweet and tender. Branch out about 2 extra inches and give it a try this week.

This is a Marco Shaw recipe adapted from the Farm to Table Cookbook, by Ivy Manning

Seared Broccoli and Sweet Onion Salad

1 tsp Dijon Mustard

1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

3 Tbsp olive oil

1 lb broccoli (including stems) cut into 1/4 in thick spears

1 small sweet onion, sliced into 1/4 in half moons

pinch of sage or dill or any other herbs you like

2 oz soft goat cheese

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Whisk the mustard, vinegar, and 2 tablespoons of the oil in a small bowl. Set aside.

2. Heat a large, heavy bottom sauté pan or cast iron skillet over high heat. Pour in the remaining oil, carefully add the broccoli and onions, and sauté until the broccoli turns bright green and is charred in places, about 3 minutes. Add the sage or other herbs and cook for 1 minute, stirring occasionally. (it's important to cook the vegetables without overcrowding; you may want to sauté them in batches)

3. Place the vegetables in a serving bowl and toss with the vinaigrette and add the cheese. Season with salt and pepper and serve warm.

Enjoy!

Growing a Gourmet

Hi my name is Raksha Boiteau

I’m 11 and I LOVE COOKING!!! I have always loved it. I am a vegetarian, and I am thinking about becoming a chef. At Rio Gozo I am learning how to prepare different kinds of fresh, delicious vegetables grown right on the farm.

You’ll be seeing my post monthly as I experiment with different recipes and post the ones I like the best.

1/23/2011

Broccoli.

Today we made 3 broccoli dishes: Ina Garten’s Parmesan- Roasted Broccoli, Seared Broccoli and Sweet Onion Salad, and a broccoli gratin with Gouda & Dubliner Cheddar cheese topped with toasted bread crumbs. They are all very easy and require pretty basic ingredients. My favorite was the roasted broccoli; here is the recipe from Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics.

Enjoy,

Raksha

Parmesan-Roasted Broccoli

Ingredients:

Servings: 6

Servings Size

·

Update

• 4 -5 lbs broccoli
• 4 -5 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
• 6 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
• 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 3 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted (optional)
• 1/3 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

Directions:

Prep Time: 15 mins

Total Time: 40 mins

1. Cut the broccoli florets from the stalks, leaving an inch or two of stalk attached to the florets.
2. Cut the larger pieces through the base of the head with a small knife, pulling the florets apart. You should have about 8 cups of florets.
3. Place the broccoli florets on a sheet pan large enough to hold them in a single layer.
4. Toss the garlic over the broccoli and drizzle with 5 tablespoons of the olive oil. Sprinkle with the salt and pepper.
5. Roast at 425*F. for 20 to 25 minutes, until crisp-tender and the tips of some of the florets are browned.
6. Remove the broccoli from the oven and immediately toss with the lemon zest, lemon juice, pine nuts(optional), and Parmesan. Serve hot.

Read more: http://www.barefootcontessa.com/recipes.aspx?RecipeID=335&S=0

CSA Pesto part 1

This is another submission from CSA member Jet Doye. Jet is an expert at turning her CSA into pesto, and as we will continue to share her amazing recipes here!

1/3 cup plus 2 Tablespoons walnuts
1 small broccoli plant (everything, flower, stalk, leaves)
1 garlic clove
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Pinch of red pepper flakes, plus extra for garnish
1/3 cup of grated parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving
zest of one organic lemon
1 T Walnut Oil
3/4 pound linguine di Farro (any linguine shaped pasta will work well!)

1. Preheat the oven to 350. Spread the walnuts in a pie plate and toast for 10 minutes until fragrant and starting to brown; let cool. Chop two tablespoons of the walnut and reserve for garnish.

2. Using a knife, separate the various pieces of the broccoli plant (stems, leaves, stalks) and cut into similar sized pieces. If you do not have a farmer growing vegetables for your family, you could use broccoli rabe or the stems and stalks from broccoli bought in the store, from which you may need to remove the tough outer layer of skin from the stalks with a vegetable peeler. In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the broccoli flowers and stalks for 2 minutes, then add the leaves for one remaining minute. Using a skimmer, transfer the broccoli from the hot water to a bowl filled with salted ice water to stop them from cooking and retain the vibrant green color. Squeeze out the excess water and roughly chop the broccoli.

3. In a food processor, mince the garlic. Add 1/3 cup of walnuts; pulse until coarsely choppoed. Add the broccoli, olive oil, crushed red pepper and lemon zest and process until the broccoli is very finely chopped. Season with salt and pepper and scrape into a large bowl.

4. In the same water you used to cook the broccoli, cook the linguine al dente. Drain, reserving 3/4 cup of the pasta cooking water. Add the linguine to the pesto sauce, then stir in the reserved cooking water and toss until the pasta is well coated with the pesto sauce. Sprinkle with chopped walnuts, piment d'espellete, andwalnut oil and serve immediately, passing more cheese at the table. This will serve four, but since Mom and I were on our own last night, I made half of the pasta and reserved half of the pesto for another meal this weekend.