Broccoli

Broccoli with Carmelized Shallots

2 tablespoons walnut pieces
½ teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
1 cup sliced shallots thinly sliced (4-5 large shallots)
Salt & freshly ground pepper, to taste
1 bunch broccoli (or a broccoli/cauliflower combo) – 1 1/2 pounds, cut into florets ~5 cups

Preheat oven to 450F.
Place walnuts in a pie plate and toast in the oven 5 minutes, or until fragrant. Transfer to a small bowl.
Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. Add shallots and cook, stirring often, until deep golden brown, about 10 minutes. (Add a tablespoon or two of water if the mixture gets too dry.) Season with salt and pepper.
Meanwhile, cook broccoli in boiling salted water until just tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Drain the broccoli and add to the shallots in the skillet; toss to combine. Taste and adjust seasonings. Transfer to a serving bowl and sprinkle with the toasted walnuts.

Broccoli with Garlic, Red Pepper Flakes, and Parmesan

(Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone by Debra Madison; 1997) Serves 4
Ingredients:
• 1 ½ lbs. broccoli, cut into bite size pieces
• 3 Tbsp. olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• ¼ tsp. red pepper flakes (use a dried pepper from week #1!)
• Parmesan to taste, shaved paper thin
Directions:
1. Steam or boil broccoli to preferred tenderness.
2. Warm olive oil with garlic cloves in a large skillet until the garlic begins to color.
3. Add red pepper, broccoli, and salt and pepper to taste. Sauté until heated through.
4. Turn into a dish and cover with Parmesan. The heat of the broccoli will soften the cheese and bring out its flavor.

Broccoli Primavera

6 portions – (The New Basics Cookbook; 1989)
Ingredients:
•1 bunch broccoli, tops cut into small florets & stems reserved for another use
•carrots, peeled and cut into ¼ inch dice
•1 yellow summer squash, halved lengthwise and cut into ¼ inch thick slices (or use zucchini)
•1 bell pepper, cored, seeded and cut into ¼ inch dice
•1 cup frozen peas, thawed
•grated zest of 1 lemon
•2 tbsp. chopped flat leaf parsley
•¾ cup Mustard Vinaigrette (recipe below)
Directions:
1- Bring a large saucepan of water to boil. Add carrots, cook 1 minute, remove with slotted spoon, rinse under cold water, drain and set aside. Repeat with squash and broccoli, cooking each 30 seconds. Pat cooked veggies dry with towels.
2- Combine broccoli, squash, carrots, bell pepper, peas, lemon zest, and parsley in a bowl. Add vinaigrette and toss gently to combine.
Mustard Vinaigrette:
1 tbsp. Dijon mustard, 3 tbsp. white wine or tarragon vinegar, 1 tsp. dried tarragon, ½ tsp. salt, ½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper, ¾ cup extra virgin olive oil. Whisk or shake all ingredients until well combined.

Broccoli Salad with Garlic and Sesame

serves 6-8  (New York Times by Melissa Clark)
Gerri Barosso shared this recipe with Patty, which she makes regularly and loves. Gerri notes, “You don’t cook the broccoli, it “cures” after sitting dressed. Commenters on NYT cut the oil to 1/4 or 1/3 cup. I did that and doubled the vinegar. I also ran out of time and it was fine after about 40-45mins, rather than the hour wait. Didn’t have fennel seeds on hand the first time, so subbed coriander. New house salad! Great way to minimize the heat in an un-air-conditioned kitchen.”

• 1 ½ tsp red wine vinegar

• 1 tsp Kosher salt, more to taste

• 2 heads broccoli, 1 pound each, cut into bite-size florets

• ¾ cup extra virgin olive oil

• 4 fat garlic cloves, minced

• 2 tsp. cumin seeds

• 2 tsp roasted (Asian) sesame oil

• Large pinch crushed red pepper flakes

Directions: 1. In a large bowl, stir together the vinegar and salt. Add broccoli and toss to combine. 2. In a large skillet, heat olive oil until hot, but not smoking. Add garlic and cumin and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in sesame oil and pepper flakes. Pour mixture over broccoli and toss well. Let sit for at least 1 hour at room temperature, and up to 48 (chill it if you want to keep it for more than 2 hours). Adjust seasonings (it may need more salt) and serve.

Broccoli Salad w/Red Peppers & Cashews

serves 6
Thank you Robin Schow for sharing this recipe from your cooking class! It is adapted from a Co-op deli recipe.
Ingredients:
2 heads broccoli, trimmed, chopped into bite-sized pieces
1 medium red pepper, trimmed, thinly sliced, lengthwise
1⁄2 small red onion, very thinly sliced quarters
1/3 cup whole raw cashews
1/3 cup sunflower or olive oil
1⁄4 cup rice vinegar
3 tablespoons tamari
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
Directions: 1. Bring pot of water (6- to 8-quarts) to a boil. Blanch chopped broccoli for 2 minutes (broccoli should still be crunchy & bright green). Immediately put blanched vegetable into cold water (or rinse under cold water in strainer). 2. Meanwhile, whisk together, oil, vinegar, tamari and garlic and set aside. 3. In a separate bowl, combine broccoli, red pepper, onion and cashews. 4. Dress salad with vinaigrette to taste.

Claudine’s Vegetable Red Curry Coconut Soup

Claudine Arndt shared this recipe at the cooking class she led last week. She said this is a recipe she uses throughout the season, varying the vegetables with what’s in season. Feel free to vary amounts – as Claudine did at the class – more veggies, more broth … you get the idea!
1 14 oz can coconut milk
½-1 Tablespoon red curry paste
1-2 Tablespoons fish sauce
1 Tablespoon brown sugar
1-2 cups vegetables
1/3 cup water or chicken broth
Cilantro to taste
Basil, to taste
4-6 oz shrimp, chicken, or tofu (optional), cut into bite-sized pieces

In a large saucepan simmer coconut milk with red curry paste over medium heat for 5 minutes. Add fish sauce, brown sugar, vegetables, and water or broth.

Simmer 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in shrimp (or chick or tofu) and continue cooking 3-5 minutes, until cooked. Garnish with fresh basil and cilantro.

Serve with rice, rice noodles, or bean thread noodles.

Garlicky Sesame-Cured Broccoli Salad

Rob Nordin quickly fixed this for us on a harvest day when the early broccoli was coming in. It was quick, easy and incredibly delicious. He got the recipe from the New York Times. 

1-1/2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon kosher salt, more to taste
2 heads broccoli, 1 pound each, cut into bite size florets

¾ cup extra virgin olive oil
4 fat garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons cumin seeds
2 teaspoons roasted (Asian) sesame oil
Large pinch crushed red pepper flakes.

1. In a large bowl, stir together the vinegar and salt. Add broccoli and toss to combine.

2. In a large skillet, heat olive oil until hot, but not smoking. Add garlic and cumin and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. (I cook it until the garlic is brown.) Stir in sesame oil and pepper flakes. Pour mixture over broccoli and toss well. Let sit for at least 1 hour at room temperature, and up to 48 (chill it if you want to keep it for more than 2 hours). Adjust seasonings (it may need more salt) and serve.

Gingered Broccoli & Carrots

serves 4 (Moosewood Restaurant Favorites, The Moosewood Collective; 2013)
Cookbook Notes: “To retain the bright green of the broccoli, don’t dress the vegetables with the marinade until ½ hour before serving. You can vary the amount of broccoli and carrots, or use other vegetables, such as snow peas, bell peppers, and asparagus. Just be sure to have a total of about 6 cups prepped vegetables.”
Ingredients:
• 2 or 3 broccoli crowns (about 4 cups spears)
• 2 medium carrots (about 2 cups sliced)
• Ginger Marinade:
• 1 tsp. peeled and grated fresh ginger
• 2 Tbsp. Vegetable oil
• 1 tsp. dark sesame oil (optional)
• 1 garlic clove, minced or pressed
• 2 Tbsp. rice vinegar
• 2 tsp. soy sauce
Directions:
• Cut broccoli into spears. Peel the carrots and cut them on the diagonal into slices about ¼ inch thick. Steam the veggies until crisp tender and spread them out on a large plate or platter to cool.
• In a small bowl, whisk the marinade ingredients together and pour over the vegetables. Mix well. If you have the time, let the vegetables marinate for about 20 minutes before serving. Serve at room temperature or chilled.

Kohlrabi and Broccoli Stalk Slaw 

serves 4 (Brassicas; 2014) Add radishes, sesame seeds, carrots or broccoli florets. 

1 ¼ broccoli stalks
1 lbs. kohlrabi bulbs
2 Tbsp. soy sauce or tamari
1 Tbsp. unseasoned rice vinegar
1 Tbsp. canola or other neutral oil
1 ½ tsp. toasted sesame oil
½ tsp. peeled, grated fresh ginger
¼ tsp. red pepper flakes
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro

Trim broccoli stalks and peel off the outer layer; cut the stalks crosswise into thin slices, no more than 1/8 inch thick, about 2 cups. Peel the Kohlrabi bulb and cut into thin slices. Stack the slices and cut them into matchstick strips, you should have about 2 cups. Combine soy sauce, vinegar, oils, ginger and red pepper flakes. Add to veggies and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least one hour to soften the veggies and allow flavors to meld. Toss in cilantro before serving.

Lemony Broccoli Chop 

serves 4 (Brassicas; 2014) This cookbook is a great resource and found in the Dakota County library system. Author’s notes: “Mix the chop with cooked quinoa or rice and toasted pine nuts, or toss it with cooked pastas shells and Parmesan cheese to turn this into a main dish. Don’t worry about cutting the broccoli into dainty florets; just put it on the cutting board (peel the stalks first, if using) and chop away until you have a big, green 

3 Tbsp. olive oil
2 gloves garlic, minced (or use the garlic scapes)
1 – 14 oz. can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 lbs. broccoli, finely chopped
1 tsp. kosher salt
2 Tbsp. water
¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
Grated zest of 2 lemons
1 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
1-2 Tbsp. fresh basil to taste, chopped (or chives, or tarragon)

1. Put the oil and garlic in a large, deep frying pan and place over medium heat. When the garlic starts to sizzle, add the chickpeas and stir to coat them with the garlicky oil. Add the broccoli and salt and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 2 minutes, until the broccoli turns bright green. Sir in the water, turn down the heat to medium-low, cover, and cook for 5 minutes.

2. Lift the lid and give the broccoli a stir. If the pan seems dry, add another 1 Tbsp. of water. Re-cover the pan and continue to steam for 2-3 minutes more, until the broccoli is tender. Stir in the pepper, lemon zest, lemon juice, and herbs, the taste and add additional salt, pepper, and lemon juice if needed. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Pan Steamed Broccoli with Sesame Seeds, Parmigiano, and Lemon

serves 4 (Six Seasons; 2017)

1 lemon
Extra-virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
¼ tsp. dried chili flakes
1 ½ lbs. broccoli, stems trimmed and peeled, then cut length-wise into long stemmed florets the full length of the stems (aim for even sizes)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup sesame seeds, lightly toasted
½ cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Grate the zest from the lemon into a large bowl.  Halve the lemon and squeeze the juice into the bowl (fish out the seeds) and set aside.

Heat a nice glug of olive oil in a large skillet that has a lid over medium heat.  Add the garlic and cook slowly to toast the garlic so it’s very soft, fragrant, and nicely golden brown-but not burnt-about 5 minutes.  Add the chili flakes and arrange the broccoli in an even layer-it’s okay if the pan is crowded.  Season with ½ tsp. salt.

Increase the heat to medium-high and add a nice big splash of water, about ¼ cup (enough water to create steam, but not so much that the broccoli sits in water and gets soggy), and put the lid on right away.  Steam the broccoli until its tender, adding more water a few times.  The whole process should take about 10 minutes.

When the broccoli is cooked, transfer it to the bowl where the lemon is waiting.  Add the sesame seeds and lots of twists of black pepper and toss gently.  Taste, adding more salt, chili flakes, or black pepper as needed.  Add ¼ cup olive oil, toss again, and then shower with the Parmigiano.  Serve warm or at room temperature.

Recipe Variations:  Make a Medley: Use a mix of vegetables in addition to the broccoli: carrot coins, Chunks of summer squash or cauliflower florets.  Transform this into a main dish:  Add some diced fresh chili-hot or mild, as you like-to cook along with the garlic.  Just before you add the broccoli, increase the heat and add 1 inch chunks of boneless chicken breasts or thighs, let them cook for a minute, then add the broccoli and continue with the recipe.

Parmesan-Roasted Broccoli

serves 6 (Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics by Ina Garten; 2008) I made this for dinner last night and it was a hit. I added turnips to the broccoli from last week’s bag, cut in accordance with my florets size so they can all roast together. If your broccoli florets are large, chop garlic accordingly as it will burn quickly in an oven at 425 degrees. I swapped out the pine nuts and Parmesan for Gruyere and sunflower seeds because that’s what I had in my fridge/pantry. Adjust ingredient amounts based on how much broccoli you have and your taste preferences, this recipe is pretty forgiving and can be easily halved. Kristin
– 4-5 lbs. broccoli
– 4 garlic cloves peeled and sliced or chopped
– Olive oil
– 1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
– 1⁄2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
– 2 tsp. grated lemon zest
– 2 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
– 3 Tbsp. toasted pine nuts
– 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese ?
– 2 Tbsp. julienned fresh basil leaves (about 12 leaves)
Directions: Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Cut the broccoli florets from the thick stalks, leaving an inch or two of stalk attached to the florets, discarding the rest of the stalk (I peeled, sliced and added my stems to the florets and turnips). Cut larger florets in half as needed. Place broccoli florets on a rimmed pan large enough to hold them in a single layer. Toss the garlic on the broccoli and drizzle it all with oil, toss to coat. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast for 20 minutes or so, depending on the size of your florets, until broccoli is crisp-tender and the tips of some of the florets have browned. Remove broccoli from the oven and immediately toss with lemon zest, lemon juice, nuts, cheese, basil and more oil if desired. Serve hot.

Quick Roasted Broccoli or Cauliflower

serves 4 to 6 (Dinner; 2017)  

Author Melissa Clark notes, “The key is to use enough olive oil to encourage real caramelization.  If you use too little, the veggies steam instead of browning.  Also, adding the seeds halfway through the roasting time ensures they don’t burn; don’t be tempted to add them any earlier.”

Florets from 1 head (1 ½ – 2 pounds) broccoli or cauliflower, broken into bite-size pieces (about 7 cups) 3 – 4 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

• Fine sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

• 1 tsp. cumin seeds (optional)

• 1 tsp. black or brown mustard seeds (optional)

1. Heat oven to 450 degrees.

2. Spread florets out in a single layer in one or two rimmed baking sheets (you want to give them a little breathing room if possible, to help them brown). Drizzle the olive oil over the florets, season with salt and pepper, and toss to coat.

3. Roast the florets for about 10 minutes, and then toss them well. If you are using the cumin and/or mustard seeds, add them when you are tossing. Then continue to roast the florets until they are tender and browned at the edges, another 8 – 12 minutes.

4. Serve hot or warm.

Roasted Broccoli

serves 4 (From Asparagus to Zucchini by the Fairshare CSA Coalition; 2004)
Ingredients:
– 1 head broccoli, large stems removed
– 1 tsp. balsamic vinegar
– 1 1⁄2 Tbsp. oil
– 1⁄4 tsp. ground pepper
– 1⁄2 tsp. Garlic salt
Directions: Heat oven to 400 degrees. Break broccoli head into medium florets and toss with remaining ingredients. Arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake 18-22 minutes, shaking the pan halfway through cooking time. Remove from oven when broccoli is a deep green color with some darkened spots.

Spicy Vegetarian Peanut Noodle Salad

Jessica Willey’s friend, Sonja brought this dish out earlier this year for our potluck. It was well received. 

Ingredients:
2/3 cup creamy peanut butter
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1/3 cup rice or red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon red chile flakes
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon coarse ground coriander
2 tablespoons naturally brewed soy sauce
1/2 cup canola oil
1 pound spaghetti, cooked and refreshed
1 small head of broccoli, chopped
1 red bell pepper, julienned
1 bunch scallions, sliced
1/2 cup chopped roasted (salted) peanuts for garnish

Directions:
In a bowl, whisk together the peanut butter, sesame oil, vinegar, chile, sugar, Dijon, coriander and soy until smooth. Whisk in the canola oil and check for seasoning. In a large bowl, toss dressing with the pasta, cucumbers, bell pepper and scallions.
Check for seasoning.

Steam-Sautéed Broccoli

serves 4 (Brassicas; 2014)

2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 ¼ lbs. broccoli, crowns cut into bite size florets and stalks peeled, and diced (about 6 cups) florets and stalks reserved separately
½ tsp. Kosher salt
3 Tbsp. chicken or vegetable stock or salted water

1. Put the oil and garlic in a large, deep frying pan and place over medium heat. When the garlic starts to sizzle, add the broccoli stalks and cook, stirring, for about 1 minute.
2. Add the broccoli florets and salt and stir to coat the florets with the garlicy oil. Cook for about 3 minutes, until the broccoli turns bright green.

Add the broth, turn down the heat to medium-low, cover, and steam for about 5 minutes, until the broccoli is tender. If you prefer softer broccoli, add a few minutes to the steaming time. Taste and add additional salt if needed.