Mom was right…Broccoli is good!
Broccoli is a member of the cabbage family, and is closely related to cauliflower. Its cultivation originated in Italy. Broccolo, its Italian name, means "cabbage sprout." Because of its different components, broccoli provides a range of tastes and textures, from soft and flowery (the floret) to fibrous and crunchy (the stem and stalk). Do not let the smell of the sulfur compounds that are released while cooking keep you away from this highly nutritious vegetable.

Storage

Broccoli should be left unwashed when storing. Store in the refrigerator in a plastic bag, leaving the bag open or use a perforated plastic bag. This will avoid excess moisture, which causes mold to grow. Store up to 5 days. Broccoli can be blanched and then frozen and kept in the freezer for up to a year. Broccoli is very sensitive to ethylene, which is a gas given off by some fruits and vegetables. The gas speeds up the ripening process so broccoli should not be stored with ethylene producing fruits and vegetables, such as, apples, apricots, bananas, cantaloupe, kiwifruit, mango, peaches, pears, tomato, and white sapote.

Nutritional Highlights

Broccoli is the superhero of the vegetable kingdom with its rich vitamin C and A content. Serving size, 1 med. Stalk (140g): Low-calorie, Low-fat, Low-sodium, High in fiber.

Broccoli and tofu in garlic sauce

A vegan and vegetarian entree that is easy to prepare.

• 1 onion, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• approx 2 cups broccoli, chopped
• 1 pound firm or extra firm tofu, pressed
• 1 1/2 tsp ginger powder
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 3 tbsp corn starch
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1 cup water

1. Cut tofu into 1 inch cubes.
2. In a large skillet, sautee onions and garlic in olive oil until onions turn clear, about 3-5 minutes.
3. Add the tofu, ginger, cayenne and broccoli to the pan and continue to cook until broccoli is done, another 6-8 minutes.
4. In a separate small bowl, mix together the corn starch, soy sauce and water, then add this mixture to the broccoli and tofu. Cook until sauce thicken, then remove from heat.
5. Serve over rice or whole grains and enjoy!

Roasted Broccoli
(from Olivia's kitchen.)

• 1 head of broccoli, washed and cut into florets
• 2 teaspoons of olive oil
• juice of one lemon
• salt and pepper, to taste

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Use a large bowl to toss broccoli florets with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Lay florets in a single layer on a baking sheet. (You can pile in uncovered glass casserole dish, if you don't have a baking sheet; it just takes longer to cook.)
2. Bake until tender and kinda brown, about 20 minutes. Right after you take the florets out of the oven, squeeze cut lemon over the broccoli.
3. Eat as side dish or pair with any grain like quinoa, couscous, or brown rice.
4. You can try this cooking technique on most veggies!

The following information is excerpted from Farmer John’s Cookbook: The Real Dirt On Vegetables: Seasonal Recipes and Stories from a Community Supported Farmby Farmer John Peterson & Angelic Organics (Gibbs Smith Publisher). Check with your local farm or bookstore for availability. Additional recipes, charts, signed copies of this book, and quantity discounts available at www.AngelicOrganics.com/cookbook.

Handling
Immediately before cooking, soak broccoli, head down, in cold, salted water (1 teaspoon salt to a 8 cups of water) for 5 minutes. Any [organic] critters will float to the top where you can rescue them or allow them to suffer a salty death. (Note: If you soak broccoli in salt water before storing, it will become too rubbery and wilted to enjoy.)

Slice the juicy, edible stems and use them wherever florets are called for. Peel particularly thick skin before using.


Broccoli and Tofu with Peanut Sauce
Served over brown rice, this dazzling, nutty dish makes for a wonderfully tasteful, healthful, and complete meal. To drain tofu, place it on a towel, place a baking sheet on top of it, and weight the baking sheet down with a heavy pot or pan. Angelic Organics Kitchen (adapted from From Asparagus to Zucchini).
Serves 4

• 1/4 cup unsalted cashews
• 3 tablespoons peanut oil, divided
• 1 large onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
• 1 red or yellow bell pepper, chopped
• 1–2 cloves garlic, minced (1/2–1 teaspoon)
• 1/2 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
• 1 pound herbed firm tofu, well drained, cubed
• 3 tablespoons tamari or soy sauce, divided, plus more to taste
• 1/2 cup peanut butter (preferably chunky)
• 1/2 cup vegetable or chicken stock or water
• 2 teaspoons rice wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
• 4 cups chopped broccoli, including peeled stalks

1. Toast the cashews in a dry, heavy skillet (preferably cast iron) over high heat until they start to brown in spots and become fragrant. (Be careful not to overtoast them, as they burn very quickly once toasted.) Let cool and then roughly chop.

2. Heat 2 tablespoons of the peanut oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion, bell pepper, garlic to taste, and pepper flakes; sauté until soft, about 5 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a bowl.

3. In the same pan, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon peanut oil over medium-high heat. Add the tofu and 1 tablespoon of the tamari; sauté until the tofu starts to brown in spots, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer the tofu to the bowl with the onion and bell pepper mixture.

4. In the same pan, mix the peanut butter, stock, rice vinegar, and remaining 2 tablespoons tamari. Heat over medium heat, stirring, until the mixture reaches a gravy-like texture and comes to a boil. Immediately turn off the heat and stir in the tofu mixture and sesame oil. Season to taste with more tamari.

5. Place the broccoli in a steamer basket set over 11/2 inches boiling water and cover. Steam for 5 minutes. Transfer the broccoli to the pan with the peanut butter mixture and mix well. If necessary, heat through before serving. Garnish with toasted cashews.



Broccoli with Asian-Style Dressing
Be careful—this can be addictive. You may not want your broccoli any other way after trying this recipe. For variety, try adding matchstick-size strips of steamed carrots or daikon. Angelic Organics Kitchen.
Serves 2 to 4

• 1 medium head broccoli
• 1/2 cup rice wine vinegar
• 3 tablespoons peanut oil
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
• 1/2 teaspoon hot chili oil (optional)

1. Separate the florets from the stalk; break into smaller florets. Cut the stalk into 1-inch lengths and then into matchstick-size strips.

2. Place the broccoli in a steamer basket set over 1 ½ inches boiling water and cover. Steam for 5 minutes. Transfer the broccoli to a bowl.

3. Combine the remaining ingredients in a small bowl; stir until well combined. Pour the dressing over the broccoli and mix well.



The Crop
You know how some wine connoisseurs can take a sip and say, “The grapes must have experienced a dry summer along the Rhine . . . ”? While picking broccoli yesterday, I mused that you shareholders have the opportunity to develop a similar weather-reading ability when you gaze at your broccoli. Now that we’ve picked many of the main heads from our broccoli plants, little side shoots have begun to form. These shoots grow so quickly that each shoot describes the weather in the single week that it developed. Broccoli forms tight beads in cool weather, loose beads in warm weather.