Broccoli. James Broccoli.
Well, not quite. But it was a certain Italian American, Albert Broccoli, born into a family that worked in the vegetable business in Queens, who went on to produce all of the Bond films made during his life, and his heirs continue the legacy today.
A couple hundred years earlier, in another Italy-America connection, Thomas Jefferson imported broccoli seeds from Italy and planted them at Monticello. From his garden notes, we know he planted green, white, and purple varieties over many years. And I imagine he would not have approved of a future president, George Bush, banning it from the White House dinner table.
Today broccoli is as ubiquitous as the Bond franchise, if not quite as glamorous, and can be found everywhere from fancy restaurants to the frozen food aisle of the grocery store. But none of the broccoli that you find in those places will be as full of flavor and nutrition as what you can get fresh from your local farmer right now.
One of the healthiest and most versatile of vegetables, broccoli can be eaten raw, roasted, boiled, steamed, or sautéed—just don’t overcook it! Besides destroying nutrients, overcooking releases that dreaded cabbage-y stink. If you steam or boil your broccoli, monitor it carefully, and drain it as soon as it is bright green and fork tender.
In addition to being good to eat, broccoli is very good for you. One serving has only 28 calories and contains 155% of the recommended daily allowance of vitamin C, approximately 33% of vitamin A, and close to 40% of folic acid. It also has almost the same calcium levels as milk. The American Cancer Society has named broccoli an “anti-cancerous” food because it is so dense in nutrients and high in antioxidants.
Broccoli doesn’t do well in hot weather though, so the spring and early summer farmers markets are the prime time and place for broccoli and its many cousins. Get it while it’s tender and sweet, and be sure and eat the whole thing—florets, stalks, and leaves are all delicious.
Easy Pan-Seared Broccoli
Everyone, from finicky eaters to fancy food folks, will swoon if you grate some cheese over this simple yet elegant broccoli dish.
Ingredients
1 pound broccoli, florets cut vertically through the stems—be sure and use the stalks, too!
2 Tb olive oil, plus 1 Tb butter
3 cloves garlic or more, minced
½ tsp crushed red pepper
1 cup chicken or vegetable stock, or water
Optional: a nice melting cheese, like Fontina or Robusto
Instructions
1. Cut the broccoli (florets and stems) longitudinally so that the flat cut surface will be in direct contact with the pan. Don’t throw away the stems. If the base of the stem seems tough, peel off the exterior and then slice longitudinally as well.
2. Heat the olive oil and butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Place the broccoli flat side down and sear until it's nicely browned. Remove and set aside.
3. Add the crushed red pepper and minced garlic to the pan and cook, stirring, about 45 seconds.
4. Add the stock or water, and then put the broccoli back in the pan cut side down with the other ingredients. Cover and simmer until the liquid has reduced a little, and the broccoli is fork tender. Salt and pepper to taste.
5. Optional: Before covering, shred a favorite cheese over the broccoli and let it melt as the broccoli simmers.
Seasonal Cook’s Notes:
Serves 4 as a side dish.
© The Land Connection Foundation
The best way to enjoy healthy, seasonal produce is to buy it from your local community farmer. To locate the farmers’ market or CSA nearest you, search for “local harvest” online.
Farm Fresh Now! is a project of The Land Connection, an educational nonprofit that preserves farmland, trains new farmers, and connects people with great locally-grown foods. This series is made possible with generous support from the Illinois Department of Agriculture.
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Thanks to for partners INAWAP
Senin, 10 Juni 2013
CHARD OF MANY COLORS
Chard will always be there for you. Like a reliable friend, it is one of the greatest, and often least appreciated, of all the gifts from your local farmer.
Chard’s long, thick stalks have wide, glossy green leaves that may be smooth or curly, depending on the variety. The stalk comes in many colors, from white to green to brilliant red, yellow, and pink. At many farmers markets you’ll see the flashy Ruby Red and Bright Lights varieties. They are glamorous and hard to resist, but the old-fashioned varieties with white stems and green leaves are even tastier.
Not only is chard giving, it’s forgiving too. It’s much more heat-resistant than spinach, grows well under most weather and soil conditions, and is disease resistant and bug resistant too. After harvesting, the inner leaves come back quickly, so you’ll see chard at farmers markets from early June clear through Thanksgiving. Because it’s always there, you might take it for granted, but, as with a good friend, you shouldn’t.
Chard is as close to perfect as a vegetable can get—a low-calorie, high-nutrition green with a mildly sweet, clean taste. It’s also a fast food. Tender young chard leaves can be eaten raw, adding a beet-like flavor to salads and sandwiches. Larger stalks and leaves can be blanched in boiling water, or sauteed up in a matter of minutes, quick and easy. Then toss the cooked chard into pasta with olive oil and garlic, add to omelets and frittatas, or use instead of spinach in your favorite recipe.
Swiss Chard Italian Style
Chard stalks and leaves are delicious, and there is no reason to discard the stems as many American recipes instruct. French or Italian recipes, on the other hand, often tell you to use just the stems and reserve the leaves for another purpose. That “other purpose” was revealed by the great food writer Richard Olney who wrote in Simple French Food (1977) that “the green leafy parts . . . are usually fed to the rabbits and the ducks.” I’m sure they make a fine treat for rabbits and ducks, but I recommend the obvious – eat the stems, leaves, and all!
Ingredients
2 pounds chard (2 or 3 bunches), rinsed and coarsely chopped
4 cloves garlic
Sea salt and hot red pepper flakes
4 tablespoons olive oil, or 2 Tb butter and 2 Tb olive oil
Instructions
Place the chard in a large stockpot with plenty of water still clinging to it and set on medium-high heat. When it begins to sizzle, stir and cover. Reduce heat to medium and cook until chard is wilted but still has texture and the leaves have turned dark green, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat.
Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a skillet over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and cook until golden, about 5 minutes.
Add the chard to the skillet after squeezing out some of the liquid. Cook, stirring, until the chard has wilted and the garlic is cooked, about 10 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Transfer to a warmed platter and drizzle with the remaining olive oil or dot with butter and serve. Serves 4.
© The Land Connection Foundation
The best way to enjoy healthy, seasonal produce is to buy it from your local community farmer. To locate the farmers’ market or CSA nearest you, visit www.localharvest.org.
Farm Fresh Now! is a project of The Land Connection, an educational nonprofit that preserves farmland, trains new farmers, and connects people with great locally-grown foods. This series is made possible with generous support from the Illinois Department of Agriculture.
Please follow me @dzcue in twitter
Link credit for http://inawap.com for my partners .
Chard’s long, thick stalks have wide, glossy green leaves that may be smooth or curly, depending on the variety. The stalk comes in many colors, from white to green to brilliant red, yellow, and pink. At many farmers markets you’ll see the flashy Ruby Red and Bright Lights varieties. They are glamorous and hard to resist, but the old-fashioned varieties with white stems and green leaves are even tastier.
Not only is chard giving, it’s forgiving too. It’s much more heat-resistant than spinach, grows well under most weather and soil conditions, and is disease resistant and bug resistant too. After harvesting, the inner leaves come back quickly, so you’ll see chard at farmers markets from early June clear through Thanksgiving. Because it’s always there, you might take it for granted, but, as with a good friend, you shouldn’t.
Chard is as close to perfect as a vegetable can get—a low-calorie, high-nutrition green with a mildly sweet, clean taste. It’s also a fast food. Tender young chard leaves can be eaten raw, adding a beet-like flavor to salads and sandwiches. Larger stalks and leaves can be blanched in boiling water, or sauteed up in a matter of minutes, quick and easy. Then toss the cooked chard into pasta with olive oil and garlic, add to omelets and frittatas, or use instead of spinach in your favorite recipe.
Swiss Chard Italian Style
Chard stalks and leaves are delicious, and there is no reason to discard the stems as many American recipes instruct. French or Italian recipes, on the other hand, often tell you to use just the stems and reserve the leaves for another purpose. That “other purpose” was revealed by the great food writer Richard Olney who wrote in Simple French Food (1977) that “the green leafy parts . . . are usually fed to the rabbits and the ducks.” I’m sure they make a fine treat for rabbits and ducks, but I recommend the obvious – eat the stems, leaves, and all!
Ingredients
2 pounds chard (2 or 3 bunches), rinsed and coarsely chopped
4 cloves garlic
Sea salt and hot red pepper flakes
4 tablespoons olive oil, or 2 Tb butter and 2 Tb olive oil
Instructions
Place the chard in a large stockpot with plenty of water still clinging to it and set on medium-high heat. When it begins to sizzle, stir and cover. Reduce heat to medium and cook until chard is wilted but still has texture and the leaves have turned dark green, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat.
Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a skillet over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and cook until golden, about 5 minutes.
Add the chard to the skillet after squeezing out some of the liquid. Cook, stirring, until the chard has wilted and the garlic is cooked, about 10 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Transfer to a warmed platter and drizzle with the remaining olive oil or dot with butter and serve. Serves 4.
© The Land Connection Foundation
The best way to enjoy healthy, seasonal produce is to buy it from your local community farmer. To locate the farmers’ market or CSA nearest you, visit www.localharvest.org.
Farm Fresh Now! is a project of The Land Connection, an educational nonprofit that preserves farmland, trains new farmers, and connects people with great locally-grown foods. This series is made possible with generous support from the Illinois Department of Agriculture.
Please follow me @dzcue in twitter
Link credit for http://inawap.com for my partners .
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