- Broccoli
- New potatoes
- Herb (parsley, dill or cilantro)
- Sugar snap peas
- Kale or chard
- Green onions
- Yellow onions
- Kohlrabi
- Zucchini
- Lettuce
We are preparing for another hot week. We are trying to get to the weeds that were germinated last week with the rain before the heat dries out the soil and turns it once again into a very hard pan. Juvencio made a huge dent in the weeding with a lot of hard work. My flower garden persists in thick weeds that will impede the growth if I don’t get to it today.
I continue to seed and think about fall crops: broccoli, cauliflower, radicchio, overwintering varieties of the above will all be seeded in the next two weeks. As the equinox arrives the signal is sent to our onions to start to form bulbs and many crops start their long journey towards ripening this fall. I hope to get the pumpkins in the ground along with the very end of the winter squash. We are having to keep all winter squash covered to prevent cucumber beetle damage. This extra step is making the planting a little bit more onerous.
This will be the last week of sugar snap peas. I fear they will fade with the heat as we wait for the beans to climb their trellises. Possibly a small reprieve for the farmers and harvesting small time consuming items. We are also waiting for those cucumbers, seeded back in March, transplanted at the perfect time in May to produce enough cucumbers. But they sure are slow at ripening fruit, hopefully by next week we will have enough to harvest for the CSA.
I am writing this on Juneteenth, now a federal holiday but only a small step towards true reconciliation of what the end of slavery means. I believe that as a nation we should provide reparations, true voting rights legislation, and a national reckoning that puts equity and environmental justice at the top of the list of priorities. We need to continue pushing our elected officials to enact legislation that protects everyone’s right to vote, everyone’s voice in our democracy and hold those who are bound and determined to undermine these rights accountable. I encourage you to continue to communicate, to vote, to protest, to speak out about injustices and racism that you witness.
Recipes to enjoy this week:
- Zucchini (4-6) sliced thinly
- 28 ounces canned tomato sauce
- Onion, diced
- Garlic, 3-5 cloves chopped finely
- Carrot, 2 shredded
- Basil, 2-4 tablespoons fresh, chopped
- Cheese ( Manchego, drunken goat, Parmesan or other) grated about ½ cup
- Salt, pepper, olive oil
Sauté garlic and onion in a small amount of olive oil until just golden. Use a pan that can go into the oven. Add the tomato sauce and carrot and cook for another 10-15 minute on the stove. Add salt and pepper to taste. Arrange the rounds of zucchini in the sauce in a circular pattern overlapping to pack in as much zucchini as possible. Place the whole pan in the oven for 40 minutes at 350 degrees. Pull out the pan and add the cheese and basil and cook for another 10 minutes. Ready to serve. You could always have a poached egg on top.
Ottolenghi’s Grilled Broccoli with Chile and Garlic
There are a few more steps in this recipe than just steaming your broccoli, but the end result is so much greater than the parts.
Course Side Dish
Cuisine Mediterranean
Keyword broccoli
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings 4
Calories 198kcal
Ingredients
- 1 bunch broccoli
- 5 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large cloves garlic very thinly sliced
- 1 mild red chile very thinly sliced
- sea salt and black pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons sliced almonds toasted
- 1/2 lemon sliced very thin
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350. Lay the almonds on a baking sheet and cook for 5-7 minutes until lightly toasted. Set aside.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. In a large bowl make an ice bath (ice and water) and set aside. Meanwhile, separate the broccoli into florets. When the water boils, add the broccoli and cook for 2 minutes. Use a slotted spoon or spider to transfer the broccoli from the boiling water to the ice bath to shock it. This will stop the broccoli from cooking further — allowing it to retain it’s crispness and vibrant color. When broccoli is completely cool, transfer it to a colander and allow it to dry completely. (I actually stuck mine under a fan for 10 minutes to wick away excess moisture).
- When broccoli is dry, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil, salt and pepper and toss to coat.
- Place a ridged grill pan on the stove and heat it over medium high heat until very hot. Add the broccoli in two to three different batches so you don’t crowd the pan. Cook in the hot pan until you get the telltale grill marks. Remove the broccoli to a large bowl and continue with the remaining florets. Transfer to the bowl.
- Heat the remaining olive oil in the skillet and add the garlic and red chile. Cook for 2-3 minutes until fragrant and just beginning to brown. Remove from heat and transfer the contents of the pan to the broccoli. Add the toasted almonds and slices of lemon. Toss gently to coat with the garlic pepper oil. Arrange broccoli on a platter and serve.
Nutrition
Calories: 198kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 25mg | Potassium: 69mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 855IU | Vitamin C: 55.2mg | Calcium: 42mg | Iron: 0.6mg
Broccoli Panzanella with Walnut Sauce and
Basil
Recipe from Anita Lo Adapted by Elaine Louie
YIELD 3 to 4 servings
FOR THE BROCCOLI:
12 ounces broccoli, florets cut into pieces 1 inch in length and stem peeled and cut into pieces 1 inch in length and 1/2 inch thick
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 large clove garlic, minced
1 pinch red pepper flakes
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
FOR THE WALNUT SAUCE:
1⁄2 cup walnut pieces, toasted
1 large clove garlic, minced
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 pinch finely grated lemon zest
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
FOR ASSEMBLY:
One-day-old baguette, crust discarded and remaining cut into 3/4 inch to 1-inch dice
1 tablespoon lemon juice, or to taste
TIME INGREDIENTS
PREPARATION
Step 1
For the broccoli: Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a mixing bowl, combine the broccoli, olive oil, garlic and red pepper flakes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Spread across a baking sheet or shallow roasting pan, and roast until the broccoli is crisp-tender, and is beginning to brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare walnut sauce.
Step 2
For the walnut sauce: In a dry skillet or toaster oven, toast the walnut pieces until fragrant and lightly browned. Place in a blender with garlic, olive oil and lemon zest. Blend until smooth, adding just enough water to make a thick yet pourable sauce. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Step 3
For assembly: Spread the diced bread on a baking sheet and bake until crisp and golden, 5 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and add lemon juice, olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste. Add broccoli (there should be equal parts broccoli to bread), and mix lightly.
Step 4
On a serving platter or in a shallow bowl, spread the walnut sauce and pile the broccoli and panzanella on top. Garnish with julienned basil and, if desired, shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano.
PRIVATE NOTES
Leave a Private Note on this recipe and see it here.
45 minutes
1⁄4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1⁄4 cup julienned basil leaves
Parmigiano-Reggiano shavings, optional.
Adapted from Anita Lo, Executive Chef and Owner of Annisa
Butter-Steamed Broccoli With Peppery Bread Crumbs
By David Tanis
YIELD 4 to 6 servings
30 minutes
Here is an easy, elegant broccoli dish. If you wish, make the crumbs by pulsing cubes of day-old French bread in a food processor, but really any type of bread crumbs will do.
TIME
INGREDIENTS
1 1⁄2 cups coarse bread crumbs
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
Salt
1 large head or 2 medium heads broccoli (1 1/2 to 2 pounds)
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 ounces Parmesan cheese, for shaving
PREPARATION
Step 1
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spread bread crumbs on a rimmed baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Bake until golden, about 10 minutes, turning pan and stirring crumbs occasionally to ensure even browning. Remove from oven and transfer crumbs to a bowl. Stir in black pepper and salt to taste. Set aside at room temperature.
Step 2
Cut off thick stems of broccoli and save for another purpose, such as soup. Cut broccoli tops into 3-inch-long spears of approximately equal size.
Step 3
Put a large skillet over medium-high heat. Melt butter, add broccoli spears and season with salt. Add 1 cup water, turn heat to high and cover skillet with a tight-fitting lid. Cook rapidly until firm-tender but still bright green, about 5 minutes. The broccoli should absorb all the butter and water. (If there is any buttery liquid left, spoon over broccoli just before serving.)
Step 4
Transfer broccoli to a serving platter or a large wide shallow bowl. Sprinkle generously with peppery crumbs. Using a vegetable peeler, shave Parmesan into rough shards and scatter over the top.