Glop, not boring broccoli, and dressing from a chef friend
I turn to cooking when the news of the world gets too much for me or my wee business gets the better of me. I need the tactile, organized experience of chopping and following a recipe. Sometimes it falls together easily other times I recycle the recipe page I printed. I had a successful week in the kitchen.
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Glop, I visit a local fruit/vegetable stand often and sometimes I buy too much, and we cannot keep up. I must use up what I bought. I turn to glop if the lovely fruit is not going to be eaten before it gets tired. This morning I pitted cherries and washed the blueberries. They are on the stove now. I add a little sugar, (two tablespoons to 4 cups of fruit - date sugar or coconut sugar add a slightly different flavor) The bubbling fruit must be watched, or it will boil over. When it is a thick sauce-like consistency I turn it off and put it in a glass container. I use it with yogurt for dessert at night or on my muesli in the morning. Glop!
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I read many years ago the broccoli does not last. The flavor changes. Here in California, it is easy to buy just picked broccoli. Here is my new favorite recipe for our old fav. I never refrigerate left over broccoli and with this recipe there is no need to! It is from Priya Krishna’s cookbook “Indian(ish)”.
5 cups broccoli florets and stems
¾ tsp salt
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp chili flakes
I garlic clove minced
¾ to 1 cup grated sharp cheddar
(I am going to merge the steps into a paragraph, she carefully lists them numerically.)
Heat the oven to 500 degrees. Steam the broccoli in ½ cup water for 6-8 minutes (until barely soft). Transfer to a bowl. Wipe out the pan and warm the oil. Stir in the chili flakes and cook for 30 seconds, add the garlic, return the cooked broccoli to the pan, and stir. Transfer this to a shallow baking pan (metal please because of the 500 degrees) Sprinkle the cheese on top and switch the oven to broil and broil for 2 minutes until the cheese is bubbly. Voila a new recipe for an old veggie friend.
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And while we are on the topic of buying a lot of veggies or fruit and wanting to use them before it is sad. I roasted a head of cauliflower, (write me if you want that method) and I sliced a bag of Brussel sprouts in half and roasted them at the same time. A friend is a chef, and she makes a great salad dressing, I made a batch and put it on the warm veggies for a solo late-night dinner. Her name is Day Darmet and her amazing catering business is here in San Francisco. Here is her basic balsamic dressing magic.
A scoop of Dijon (I use a slight tbsp)
1/3 cup of balsamic
2/3 cup olive oil
Chopped shallots
Hint of agave
Cilantro 1 bunch!
Put in a blender till smooth.
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Try and relax at your counters and stove. Do not rush, enjoy the chemistry. Food unites. If you come across a success story or want to share your favorite go-to recipe, write me! I am here, listening and hoping.
