We’ve eaten all the beans, most of the tomatoes and the courgettes aren’t happy with the drop in temperature so they have slowed to an almost stop. It’s that time of the year again. This is when the brassica cage becomes very attractive – we’re not terribly interested in it when the summer veg are still around.
I was poking around while we were tidying up – there’s plenty of debris with everything dying off – and I discovered some sprouting calabrese. Sprouting calabrese is like a summer broccoli. This had mostly been ignored, as we had so much else to eat but now I’m delighted it’s there.
Broccoli is one of those reliable vegetables that always seems to be available, so it never sits in the exciting department, even though there are many ways to use it.
When we had our shop we made broccoli salad that was so popular we could never make enough of it. I seldom make that salad now. Truth be told, I seldom make anything that we used to cook at the shop as a gazillion bowls of anything would put anyone off, but I do have a new broccoli salad recipe which I’m going to share.
I was checking out recipes for our up-coming trip to Greece, where I teach cooking with my Greek friend Elisa, and I discovered a broccoli salad with sun-dried tomatoes and toasted almonds. It isn’t mayonnaise-based like our shop recipe but it’s equally as delicious and simpler to make.
It’s a little different, as the broccoli isn’t one hundred percent raw. I blanch it in a big pot of boiling water but only for 30 seconds. This is important – the big pot of water and the 30 seconds. The big pot of boiling water means that when the broccoli is dropped in, the temperature doesn’t drop, and 30 seconds is enough to make the broccoli bright green and take the raw edge off, but not cook it. It’s also important to have a big bowl of cold water handy to drop the broccoli in to stop it cooking further.
I use sun-dried tomatoes that are dried rather than sitting in oil but either would be good, whatever you can lay your hands on.
And toasted almonds are easy, just lay them on a baking tray and cook for four to five minutes, until they are golden.
Broccoli, Sun-dried Tomato, Toasted
Almond Salad
Ingredients:
• 1 head broccoli
– around 500-600g
• 6-8 sundried dried tomatoes
• 1 medium/large red onion
• 50mls white wine vinegar
• 1 dsp sugar
• 50g flaked almonds
• 1-2 cloves garlic
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 100mls extra virgin olive oil
• Juice of half lemon
– about 2tbs
• 1tsp honey
• Salt and black pepper
Method:
If you are using dried sun-dried tomatoes, cover them with boiling water and a splash of vinegar. Leave aside for 15-30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 180c. Spread the almond flakes onto a baking tray, then cook for four to five minutes until golden. Tip them into a small bowl and allow to cool.
Peel and finely slice the red onion, sprinkle over a little salt, then massage the onion until the rings separate. Put the vinegar and sugar into a bowl, mix until the sugar dissolves then add the onion. Mix well then leave aside.
Fill a big saucepan with water and bring to the boil, cover it with a lid, as this will speed things up.
Discard the very end of the broccoli stalk, then thinly slice the rest until you arrive at the florets. Chop the sliced stalks into matchsticks, then divide the head into florets. By now the water should be boiling. Fill a big bowl with cold water and have it ready on the side. Add a heaped tsp salt to the boiling water, then drop the florets in, count to 30 then lift the broccoli out, or drain into a colander then tip it into the cold water. Allow the boiling water to return to temperature, then drop the chopped broccoli stems in; count to 10, then take them out and drop into the cold water. When the broccoli is cool, drain, break the florets into small pieces and put into a big bowl – all the pieces should be the right size to eat without a knife and fork.
Drain the sun-dried tomatoes and chop small. Add to the broccoli. Drain the onion and reserve the vinegar. Add the onions to the salad. Peel and finely chop the garlic. Add the garlic and Dijon mustard to the oniony vinegar, then whisk in the olive oil, honey and lemon juice. Season with salt and black pepper.
Pour the vinaigrette over the broccoli then toss together, Add the flaked almonds then toss again.
Tip into a serving bowl and it’s ready to go.
