BROCCOLI

BRASSICAS LIKE BROCCOLI (and Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, cabbage, and kale) get a bad rap because when they’re boiled, their smell is off-putting. Or they’re perceived as just plain boring. The common negative stereotype of broccoli is as a flavorless commodity veg, at its very best on a catered platter of crudités that become edible only when dunked in gobs of blue cheese dip. Many people undercook broccoli, worrying unnecessarily about preserving its bright green appeal or rightfully about preserving its nutritional value. But I think broccoli shows off its best qualities and tastes really delicious when it’s cooked a bit longer, until it is just tender. Life’s too short and broccoli is way too good to perpetuate bad stereotypes.

There’s a world of difference between the pedestrian version of a vegetable and growing it yourself or buying it from a local grower. What excites me is exploring just how extraordinary broccoli can be when it’s fresh, and how delicious it can become when paired with a couple of key ingredients. One of my favorite ways to use bright, fresh broccoli is in a puree. It’s surprisingly easy to blanch broccoli and blend it with some olive oil into satiny smoothness to serve under a piece of fish or meat.