Eat Your Broccoli !

Today is "We Love Broccoli Day!"   In 1990, President George Bush declared his dislike of broccoli :
“I do not like broccoli. And I haven't liked it since I was a little kid and my mother made me eat it. And I'm President of the United States and I'm not going to eat any more broccoli.”
 George Bush quotes (American 41st US President (1989-93), b.1924)
 


When I was a kid, we never had broccoli.  Daddy is a "corn and lima beans kind of guy."  One day we'd have corn.  The next day it would be lima beans.   And on the third day, we'd have succotash to use up the left over corn and limas. (And they were canned - as in tin canned / not fresh veggies put up by canning.)   And then, the whole process would start all over again...

 I know that I was twenty-something before I ever tasted broccoli.  It was love at first bite!  In fact, I love all veggies!  I've never eaten succotash since I moved out of my childhood home although I do still enjoy fresh corn and/or lima beans.

  So, while President George Bush may not like to eat broccoli, I do!  I like it raw, steamed, roasted, grilled, sauteed.  One of the simplest ways I like to prepare this healthful green veggie is to saute the florets in a small amount of olive oil, garlic and ginger.  Saute just until al dante.  Then, just before the removing from the saute pan, sprinkle in ground tumeric and toss until well distributed over the florets.  A word of warning:  this is a very intoxicating dish - in both smell and taste.  And, as a second warning, the tumeric's rich yellow color changes the color of the broccoli.  This is sometimes a "problem" for some but, trust me, it's a fantastic new twist!  

Here's an interesting revision to an old favorite.  Many have enjoyed some version of the Broccoli, Bacon and Raisin Salad.  Here's one that is a new take on an old recipe:

Broccoli-Cranberry Salad


1 cup sweetened dried cranberries
1/2 cup chopped red onion
1/2 cup chopped celery
6-8 strips bacon
Dressing:
1 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup sugar

Fry bacon until crispy and set aside.
Cut up broccoli flowerettes into bite-sized pieces, leaving just a little stem. Cut up enough for about 4 cups of flowerettes.
Add cranberries, onions, celery, dressing and toss salad.
Refrigerate salad for about 2-3 hours.

Vegetables are the food of the earth; fruit seems more the food of the heavens.  ~Sepal Felicivant