Does anyone remember when George H. W. Bush announced at a 1990 news conference that he hated 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,” he told reporters, and the nation’s broccoli farmers sent thousands of pounds of broccoli to Washington, D.C. in hopes of changing his mind.
It didn’t work.
Broccoli is one vegetable I can’t imagine hating. Sweet and crunchy, I think it’s one of the friendliest vegetables in the cabbage family. Apparently lots of American agree. According to The Packer, we bought 331 million pounds of broccoli in 2009, the last year for which they have numbers.
David Bentoski of D & A Farm in Zebulon agrees with us broccoli fans.
“I can eat broccoli until I turn green,” he told me recently, and he takes his broccoli straight, steamed and sprinkled with just a little bit of salt. Bentoski sells his broccoli to customers at Atlanta’s Morningside Farmers Market on Saturday mornings.
He finds broccoli grows best around here in the spring and the harvest window is usually early May through mid-June for the local crop. Broccoli doesn’t like hot weather, so this spring with its early high temperatures probably means a shorter broccoli season than usual.
Bentoski grows the ‘Pacman’, ‘Gypsy’ and ‘Diplomat’ varieties of broccoli, primarily because of their staggered harvest windows. Gypsy is his favorite because it produces the largest crowns and seems to do best when farmed organically. Seed goes into the ground in early March and the heads are ready to harvest in seven to eight weeks.
“One of the great things about broccoli is that it holds well once you pick it,” he said. “We pick our broccoli early in the morning while it’s still cool, give them a quick dunk in a bath of cold water and get them into the cooler as soon as possible.”
Keeping broccoli cool is the key to having it last as long as possible. Fresh broccoli, loosely wrapped in plastic, will keep in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. Like many vegetables, however, the longer it’s stored, the tougher the stems will get and the more nutrients it loses.
One pound of broccoli will give you about 6 cups of raw florets and about 3 cups cooked. Because broccoli is so versatile, you can eat it raw, steamed, stir-fried and roasted. The only way I don’t like broccoli cooked is boiled. Maybe that’s what Mrs. Bush was serving to the future president.
At local farmers markets
Farm tour:
Sunday, June 5, Farm Tour Spring 2011. Leave from Morningside Farmers Market and visit 3 farms. Transportation and box lunch included. $40. Contact hankshumate@rocketmail.com for details.
Cooking demos:
Saturday, May 28, 9:30 a.m. Chef Yolande Horne-Payne. Morningside Farmers Market, Atlanta. www.morningsidemarket.com
Saturday, May 28, 10 a.m. Chef Ethan Ray, H. Harper Station. Peachtree Road Farmers Market, Atlanta. www.peachtreeroadfarmersmarket.com
Farmers markets opening for the season:
Powder Springs Farmers Market, Powder Springs: June 2. www.localharvest.org/powder-springs-farmers-market-M27564
Lawrenceville Farmers Market, Lawrenceville: June 4. www.lawrencevillefarmersmarket.com
For sale
Vegetables and fruit: arugula, asparagus, beets, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, celery, chard, dandelion, fennel, herbs, kale, lettuce, mushrooms, Napa cabbage, onions, pea shoots, potatoes, radishes, strawberries, sugar snap peas, summer squash, turnips
From local reports
Broccoli Calzone
Hands on: 15 minutes
Total time: 45 minutes
Serves: 4
This easy calzone is a great way to serve broccoli to those who aren’t so sure about this vegetable. For those of us who love broccoli, it’s just one more way to get your fix. Trader Joe’s sells one-pound balls of pizza dough in its dairy case or you can find canned refrigerated pizza dough with the refrigerator biscuits and cinnamon rolls.
1 large head broccoli, cut into florets (about 1 pound)
1 pound whole wheat pizza dough, thawed if frozen
1 cup marinara sauce, divided
1 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella (about 4 ounces)
1/2 cup chopped ham or salami (about 2 ounces)
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
Rinse broccoli in a colander. In a large microwave-safe container, add broccoli with the water remaining on the florets. Cover with a piece of waxed paper and microwave on high, 3 minutes or until broccoli is just tender. Remove from microwave and let cool.
Divide dough into 4 pieces and shape each piece into a circle. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out each piece into a 8-inch circle. Take your time with this step. If the dough becomes too elastic and stretches back, let it relax five minutes and then roll it out again. Gradually it will hold its shape.
Divide 1/2 cup marinara sauce between the dough rounds. Dividing evenly, top the sauce with mozzarella, ham or salami and broccoli. Brush edges of circle with cold water and fold circle in half. Crimp edges with fork and move calzone to prepared baking sheet. Bake 20 minutes or until golden brown. Serve with remaining marinara sauce.
Per serving: 432 calories (percent of calories from fat, 23), 23 grams protein, 62 grams carbohydrates, 6 grams fiber, 11 grams fat (4 grams saturated), 23 milligrams cholesterol, 638 milligrams sodium.
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