I love broccoli
I love broccoli! Did you know broccoli is a member of the cabbage family and was introduced to America by the Italians in the 1920s? Let’s thank those Italians.
Unfortunately Fred’s and my mother’s method of cooking any vegetable was boiling it beyond recognition so neither Fred nor I grew up with a dislike of broccoli. Fred, like President Bush Sr. have maintained a dislike of this vegetable into their senor year. I didn’t discover the true nature of broccoli until my early 20s and it was love at first crunchy bite – I still remember it was a spear smothered in Ranch dressing. That was the start of our relationship.
The following is my mostest favorite broccoli recipe of all time, especially for a summer meal. (Fortunately Fred won’t eat the stuff so I have the whole recipe to myself.) You can dice up the peeled stems and toss them into the recipe or save the firm pale green goodness to toss into a lettuce salad or use in a stir-fry. When stir-fried the broccoli’s stock have the firmness of a water chestnut.
Broccoli Salad Yield: 4 large servings
4 cups fresh broccoli florets (1.5 lbs)
1 ½ cups seedless grapes, halved (optional but strongly recommended)
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup raisins
1/3 cup light mayonnaise
1/4 cup plain yogurt
3 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp white vinegar
1/4 cup salted sunflower seed kernels or any other lightly salted nut
Crispy bacon pieces (optional)
Combine the first four ingredients in a large bowl. Whisk together the next four ingredients. Pour this dressing over broccoli mixture and toss well. Chill at least one hour before serving. Sprinkle kernels/nuts and bacon over broccoli just before serving. (The original recipe called for onion but I found, even a 1/4 cup of finely diced red onion, detracted from the overall flavor.) Leftovers should be stored covered in refrigerator.
This would be a huge hit at our house! We are big broccoli fans, and plan to grow a bunch of it in our garden again this year. Can't wait to try this out, thanks!