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So much beautiful broccoli! It needs nothing more than a quick steam or boil and a little salt and maybe a little butter but have fun with the soup and fritters too. And an elegant use for your fennel fronds as a bed/flavoring for salmon.
Green Salad with New Garlic and Basil
Broccoli and Turnip/Potato Soup with Croutons
Broccoli Fritters
Collards and Beans
Quick-Cooked Collards with Citrus and Raisins
Fennel Notes
Slow-cooked Salmon with Fennel Fronds and Parsley
Caramelized Fennel with Goat Cheese
Napa Slaw with Herbs
New Garlic Notes
New garlic is sweet and tender and less pungent than mature/cured garlic so you can use it more generously. I’ve been making lots of herb-based sauces or aioli or Greek yogurt-based ones in which the sweet freshness of the garlic really shines. If you make the vegetarian version of the broccoli soup (below) by all means use lots of the garlic and the Citrus Collards use some as well.
Green Salad with New Garlic and Basil
What to do with basil before the tomatoes are there? This salad, for one thing. I was in a hurry when I made this and really wanted to add toasted sunflower seeds but had none toasted. I’ve always toasted them in the oven but didn’t have enough time to do so. I toasted them in my cast iron skillet with just a little olive oil and salt. I had the heat on pretty high and they almost got too dark but I caught them, tossed them around a bit and reduced the temperature and toasted a bit more—in total probably just for about 5 minutes. They were smoky and delicious.
Serves 4
1/3 -1/2 cup basil cut into thin strips (chiffonade)
1 small-ish head lettuce, washed, dried and torn
1/3 cup toasted sunflower seeds
2 tablespoons whipping cream (not whipped)
1 teaspoon Dijon-style mustard
3 cloves new garlic, minced, sprinkled with coarse salt and then mashed into a paste with the side of a chef’s knife
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
A bit more salt and plenty of freshly ground pepper
Put the basil, lettuce and seeds in a salad bowl. Mix the dressing ingredients in a small bowl. Toss dressing with salad and taste and adjust with more salt and/or pepper and/or vinegar.
Broccoli and Turnip/Potato Soup
Serves 4-6
We had this soup for dinner on a warm evening with salad with new garlic and basil—a perfect light combination. If you don’t want to use bacon I would substitute 4-5 cloves new garlic and ½ teaspoon ground cumin. I happened to have both turnips and potatoes from last week’s share so created this soup to use them up.
The soup turned out so pale since I had to give my broccoli a bit of a hair cut as I neglected it for too long. Use your broccoli soon after you get it and you’ll get a much prettier color.
2 tablespoons butter or olive oil
½ large onion, diced
2 slices bacon, diced (or vegetarian alternative—see headnote) (I buy Nueske’s bacon ends—cheaper than slices—at Pastaworks and freeze them so I always have some on hand)
2/3 lb broccoli (one really large head or several small ones), peeled, trimmed of any tough stems and chopped
2 Japanese salad turnips, washed and diced (or just potatoes if you don’t have turnips)
2 potatoes, scrubbed and diced (no need to peel if new potatoes but peel older ones) (or just turnips if you don’t have potatoes)
Salt and freshly ground pepper
5 – 5 ½ cups water, vegetable or chicken stock (or veggie bouillon broth) (I used water as I didn’t have anything else and it was delicious)
¾ cup whole milk
Croutons for serving (made by toasting diced bread in a large, heavy skillet with a little olive oil and salt until crisp but still a little chewy) or Toasted sunflower seeds
Good olive oil for drizzling
Heat the butter or oil in a large, heavy pot. Sauté the onions for 5-7 minutes until softened but not browned. Add the bacon and the potatoes and/or turnips and a few pinches of salt and sauté, stirring often, for another 4-5 minutes without browning.
Add the broth/stock and bring to a lively simmer and cook for about 15 minutes until the vegetables are quite tender. Add the broccoli and cook until tender, about 8-10 minutes depending on how big your pieces are. Add the milk and simmer for another minute.
Puree the soup in batches in the blender and return to a pot. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper and a little squeeze of lemon if you’d like.
Serve topped with croutons or toasted sunflowers seeds and a drizzle of good olive oil.
Broccoli Fritters
–inspired by smittenkitchen.com
These are terribly addictive. They’re perfect with a fried egg on top or just with some Greek (or plain whole milk yogurt) that you’ve doctored with a little minced garlic, salt and lemon juice and/or some finely chopped parsley. You can substitute kohlrabi or cauliflower or carrots or cabbage for the broccoli.
About 10 3-inch fritters
About 4 cups broccoli, well washed and cut into small florets and stems cut into small chunks
2 eggs
1/3 cup flour
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese (or other cheese—sharp cheddar is fine too)
2 tablespoons parsley, chopped
3 cloves new garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon sea salt, plus more to taste
A pinch of red pepper flakes
Freshly ground black pepper
Olive oil for frying
Cook the broccoli in a pan with about 1/2–inch of water for 5-6 minutes until tender but not mushy. Drain the broccoli and let cool slightly.
In the meantime beat the eggs in a large bowl. Add the flour, cheese, garlic, salt and pepper. Then, add broccoli and, using a potato masher or a fork, mash it up a bit and incorporate the other ingredients well. You don’t want a uniform texture but you want it mashed enough so they stick together when fried. Adjust seasonings to taste.
Heat a tablespoon or two of oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Spoon the batter into the pan and flatten it slightly with a spatula. Repeat with additional batter, leaving and inch or so between each. Once brown underneath, about 2 to 3 minutes, flip each fritter and cook on the other side until equally golden, about another 1 to 2 minutes.
You can keep them warm in a 200 degree oven if you’re not eating them right away. Repeat with remaining batter, adding more oil as needed. Serve with garlicky or plain Greek yogurt or a fried egg or just as is–see headnote.
Fennel Notes
Add very thinly sliced fennel to any salads you make this week. Or if you’re making a sauce of any kind that starts with diced onions, add some fennel as well, for depth and sweetness. The below recipe is a real treat so if you have what you need for it by all means use all of your fennel for that dish.
Slow-cooked Salmon with Fennel Fronds and Parsley
This recipe comes straight from Noble Rot chef Leather Storrs who is a very talented fish cook.
Cover the bottom of a pretty, ovenproof dish with fennel fronds and parsley. Plop a filet of salmon on it and season with salt and pepper. Pour in a little white wine and bake at 180 degrees until just set. 30-45 minutes. Squeeze over some lemon and throw on some fresh herbs. Serve from the dish.
And I would roasted the fennel bulbs, thinly sliced, with just a little olive oil and salt until browning in a hot oven, and serve those with the fish.
Caramelized Fennel with Goat Cheese
–adapted from Plenty by Yotam Ottolenghi
Family share members will have enough fennel for this recipe.
Serves 4
2 large fennel bulbs
2 ½ tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil (plus extra to finish)
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon fennel seeds (optional)
Sea salt and black pepper
2-3 new garlic cloves, minced
4 ounces crumbled fresh goat’s cheese
Grated zest of 1 lemon
¾ cup dill (leaves and stalks) chopped
Prepare the fennel by taking off the leafy fronds and any tough or brown outer layers. Then slice off some of the root part but make sure the base still holds everything together. Then slice the bulbs into ½-inch slices lengthwise.
Melt half the butter with half the oil in a large skillet over high heat. When the butter starts to foam add a layer of sliced fennel. Do not overcrowd the pan and don’t turn the fennel over or stir it around in the pan until one side has become light golden, about 2 minutes. Turn the slices over and cook for another 2 minutes. Remove form the pan and continue with the rest of the fennel, using the remaining oil and butter.
Once the fennel has been seared, add the sugar and fennel seeds, if using, and plenty of salt and pepper to the empty (don’t clean it!) pan. Fry for 30 seconds, then return all the fennel slices to the pan and caramelize them gently for 1-2 minutes (they need to remain firm inside so just allow them to be coated in the melting sugar and seeds). Remove the fennel form the pan and let cool a bit on a plate.
To serve, toss the fennel in a bowl with the garlic, dill, lemon zest and then taste and adjust seasoning. Serve dotted with the goat cheese.
Quick-Cooked Collards with Citrus and Raisins
– slightly adapted from Vegan Soul Kitchen by Bryant Terry
Bryant talks about this dish as symbolic of his approach to cooking–fresh, lively twists on traditional dishes and treasured ingredients. His combinations are never short of inspired and in his subsequent books Inspired Vegan and Afro Vegan he continues on his path of satisfying, gorgeous, culturally and historically-rooted food.
I love this as a side dish or in a quesadilla with some grated sharp cheddar. I’m not a big fan of raisins in savory dishes but they are essential here.
Serves 2-4
1 large (or 2 smaller) bunch collard greens, washed, tough stems removed and cut into a chiffonade (fine ribbons)
Sea salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced (or 3-4 new garlic cloves)
2/3 cup golden or regular raisins
1/3 cup fresh orange juice (apple cider works too if you don’t have orange juice)
Bring a large pot of salted water to boil over high heat. Add the collards and cook, uncovered, for about 4-5 minutes. Drain the collards and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking and set the color of the greens. Drain again.
Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat and add the garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Add the collards, raisins and a 1/2 teaspoon salt. Sauté for 3 minutes, stirring frequently.
Add orange juice and cook for an additional 15-30 seconds. Season with additional salt to taste if needed and serve immediately.
Collards and Beans
This isn’t really a recipe, just a suggestion of a good combination. I’ve been mixing cooked collards with any kind of home-cooked (canned could work too) bean I have around. I think they are particularly good with pinto beans and chickpeas. I chop up a bunch of collard greens, slice a clove of garlic and give those a quick sauté in some olive oil or bacon fat if you happen to have some around. Then I add a pinch or two of chili flakes and the beans and some bean cooking liquid or a little broth or water —not to make a soup (though that would be good too) but just so that everything heats through together evenly. Simmer the lot for 5-7 minutes until the collards are tender.
Serve with your favorite hot sauce or black pepper and olive oil. You can serve this over rice too for an even more filling dish. Or fry and egg to put on top!
Napa Slaw with Herbs
I made this for a party this weekend and it was well received. I think the mint is key so hopefully you can find some. Scale this as you’d like. If you have a big crowd use a whole head of cabbage.
Serves 4-6
½ head napa cabbage, washed, dried and leaves cut in half lengthwise and then cut crosswise into ½-1-inch strips
Handful of mint leaves, roughly chopped
1/3 cup chopped cilantro
1/3 cup basil leaves, thinly sliced
3-4 scallions, thinly sliced
A few radishes, cut into matchsticks (optional)
1 Serrano chili (seeded if you don’t like much heat), minced
3 tablespoons Greek yogurt
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 tablespoon olive oil
Juice of 1 lime
3 cloves new garlic, minced and then mashed with coarse sea salt with the side of a chef’s knife
Freshly ground pepper and more sea salt
Put all the vegetables in a large salad bowl. Mix the dressing ingredients in a small bowl and pour over salad. Toss well. Let sit for a few minutes and toss again and taste and adjust seasoning with salt and/or lime juice, etc.
Post by Katherine Deumling of Cook With What You Have. For questions or comments contact katherine@cookwithwhatyouhave.com.