Of the vegetables, the stem, the leaf, the root, all these have attained, have come into themselves. Even the fruit, self-satisfied in its fertility, is as much ripe completion as it is beginning. But the broccoli is not even flower yet! Tighter than the luxurious druplets of a berry, these green or purple buds might tremble with pure potential and becoming if we could see these things.
As you probably know, broccoli is of the cabbage family - brassica - along with cauliflower, brussels sprouts, and, well, cabbages of all descriptions. You can edify yourself greatly by reading sneff's writeup on the topic - even learn why you should never, never overcook it. One day I will understand why overcooked broccoli smells like wind from the papermill town of Berlin, New Hampshire. Perhaps these chemicals are it. That does not mean the vegetable is evil, or even difficult to get right.
There are not that many vegetables of which we eat the flower bud. If you have grown broccoli in your garden, though, or seen it left too long in the market, you will know the tiny yellow fireworks that intend to burst from the green heads.
Broccoli is best started as a transplant about six weeks before last frost - then planted when risk of frost is gone. As they get larger, thin them to about a foot and a half apart. Give them room to grow. When the cental head is ready to eat (hasn't flowered yet), cut it off - but leave the side shoots, they will come into their own. Cutting on time encourages it to continue to produce, like deadheading flowers.
The stems of course are a vegetable in their own right. Peeled, crisp, white. The crudités angels might nibble if they had mouths or desire.
My sources say that too much nitrogen leads to hollow stems. You don't want that. Even people who don't like broccoli often like this sweet crunchy inoffensive treat. Of course, you can also leave the stems on when steaming or stir-frying your broccoli. It gives you a convenient handle if you like to eat with your hands.
And the leaves, often roughly discarded. Good as any other deep leafy green. The small ones, look at them sprouting from, dwarfed by that muscular stalk; perfectly formed, tightly curled as a baby's fist.
As with all vegetables, cooking can break down some of the nutrients in broccoli, so if you're just into getting supplements, eat it raw or take those nasty pills. However, broccoli cooked or raw offers up calcium, potassium, iron, folacin, vitamins A & C, fiber, and niacin. Yes! Calcium! Remember that if you're pregnant or vegan. Yes! Potassium! Remember that if you don't like bananas. And iron, of course, like any other deep green leafy thing. The color is a signal that they will feed your blood.
Color. Broccoli is nature's essay in green. Is green related to yellow or purple? Both. They are kissing, they are cousins. Green is pale and green is deep. The stem can look dusted with white, vague, but when cooked, the color is alive, and this is your key. No marketing department could come up with a better tool; turkey thermometer, ph test, anything. When the color is right, the broccoli is done. If it even hints at greyish, it is overdone.
- Broccoli is friend to potato: Twice-baked potatoes with broccoli. Bake a potato, hollow it out, mash the filling with chopped-up sauteed broccoli and garlic. restuff. Top with cheese. Melt cheese.
- Broccoli is friend to butter: Melt butter with nutritional yeast, black pepper and paprika and pour over steamed broccoli.
- Broccoli is friend to tofu: Stir-fry broccoli with tofu, onions, red pepper flakes, soy sauce, honey, and rice vinegar.
- Transitional Man is friend to broccoli: Lightly steamed, with butter and lemon.
I recently came upon this shard of wisdom in the Everything Quote Server:
"BROCCOLI IS THE MOST INTELLIGENT OF ALL VEGETABLES!!! YOU DARE... DEFY... BROCCOLI!?!"
--zot-fot-piq
May it serve you well.
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