Broccoli and Cauliflower

When I was a child, I used to hate broccoli and cauliflower but on no occasion was I allowed to leave the tiniest  morsel on my plate.  One day, when I was in my early teens, after tasting a cauliflower salad, drizzled with olive oil and lemon juice, I discovered the wonderful, nutty flavour of the vegetable and enjoyed two large helpings.

Ever since, cauliflower and broccoli are my favourite winter vegetables.  They can be boiled, braised, fried, roasted, steamed and pureed.   Combined with other vegetables, cheese, ham or bacon, one can produce the most delectable dishes.

BROCCOLI SOUP

            

           This is a lovely, creamy soup.  

1  kg (2 lb) broccoli, divided in florets, stalks reserved
1 ½ litre (6 cups) chicken stock
1 herb bouquet (1 bay leaf, 3 sprigs parsley)
1 medium onion, chopped, or
3 spring onions, chopped, including the green parts
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp flour
A pinch freshly grated nutmeg
Salt and pepper
125 ml (½ cup) thick yoghurt or cream

           Boil the reserved broccoli stalks with the herb bouquet, in the chicken stock until soft. Remove the stalks and set aside.   Add the broccoli florets to the stock and simmer gently for 10-15 minutes.   Remove the florets and set aside, and discard the bouquet.

           Sauté the onions in butter, until soft, sprinkle with flour and cook, stirring for 2-3 minutes;  then add 1-2 cups stock and simmer, stirring, until the sauce thickens.   Return all the broccoli parts to the stock (reserving 6-8 small florets).   Add the sauce, sprinkle with nutmeg and simmer 5-7 minutes more.

        Then blend and sieve the soup.   Taste and add salt if necessary, and sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper.  Re-heat the soup thoroughly.   Serve in bowls, with a spoonful of cream or yoghurt and a broccoli floret on top.

BROCCOLI AND CAULIFLOWER SALAD

  

This is a large, colourful salad.

  

1 broccoli cut in florets

1 cauliflower cut in florets

1 green, 2 red and 2 yellow peppers, trimmed, seeded, thickly sliced and halved

2 carrots peeled and thickly sliced

1 garlic clove, sliced

Salt, pepper

2 tbsp sesame oil, (not the oriental kind)

1 tbsp finely chopped parsley, and

1 tbsp roasted sesame seeds for garnishing

Salad Dressing

2 tbsp white balsamic vinegar

5 tbsp sesame oil (not the oriental kind)

1 tsp Dijon mustard

1 scant tbsp honey

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Lemon juice, optional

Place the first four ingredients in a baking tin lined with baking parchment, season with salt and pepper, drizzle with sesame oil and roast in an oven preheated to 180 C (350 F), until tender.   Arrange the vegetables attractively on a flat salad dish.     

For the dressing, blend the vinegar with the mustard, honey, salt and pepper and then add the remaining oil gradually, until the vinaigrette thickens.  Taste for seasoning and adjust with more salt, pepper and lemon juice, if necessary. Dredge the   vegetables with the dressing, cover and refrigerate.  One hour before serving remove the salad from the refrigerator and allow it to reach room temperature. Serve sprinkled with the sesame seeds and parsley.

BROCCOLI RISOTTO WITH MUSHROOMS AND TRUFFLE SHAVINGS

                                               

It is difficult to give the exact amount of liquid used for a perfect risotto. Some rice varieties need 1:5 (1 part rice – 5 parts liquid), others need more or less liquid.

¾ kg (1 ½ lb) broccoli florets, boiled al dente, strained and dried on kitchen paper,

                                                                                                            water reserved

500 g (1 lb) fresh white mushrooms cut into chunks

1 large onion, finely chopped

1-2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

2-3 tbsp butter

6-7 saffron stamens infused in 250 ml (1 cup) good quality, warm white wine

450 g (2 cups) risotto rice

1 litre (4 cups) hot chicken or vegetable stock

500 ml (2 cups) hot broccoli water

½ cup parsley, chopped

1 tsp fresh marjoram leaves, finely chopped

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

90 g (1 cup) San Mihalis or Parmesan cheese, grated
a nob of butter

Extra grated cheese for serving

1 small white truffle scrubbed with a brush, and washed

Sauté the mushrooms in 1½ tbsp butter, for about 7 minutes, and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Add the broccoli and cook 5 minutes more. Then remove the vegetables and keep hot.  

 In the same pan add the remaining butter, onion and garlic and cook gently until the onion softens.  Add the rice and cook until transparent, pour in the warm wine with the saffron and stir continuously until absorbed.  Add the chicken or vegetable stock and the broccoli water, a cup at a time, stirring the rice until the liquid is absorbed, before adding the next cup.

  

When the rice is almost done, add the vegetables and the herbs  and carefully mix together.   Finally, remove from the fire, add the cheese and let it melt, stir in the butter and shave a little white truffle over.   Serve immediately with grated cheese and a glass of the same white wine you used for the cooking, iced this time!

A SPICY CAULIFLOWER AU GRATIN                 

A very tasty vegetable dish!   It is equally good made with broccoli and a few finely chopped bacon rashers.

1 kg (2 lbs) cauliflower, cut into florets

4-6 garlic cloves

½ lemon, juice and rind

Salt and pepper

2-3 thick slices day-old bread, crusts removed

2 tbsp chopped tarragon

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1/8 tsp Cayenne pepper

300 g (1 ½ tub) yogurt

2 tbsp Dijon mustard

4 tbsp mayonnaise

90 g (l cup) grated kefalotyri or Parmesan cheese

2 tsp fresh thyme, chopped

1 tsp grated lemon rind

Salt, and freshly ground black pepper

2-3 tbsp olive oil for drizzling over..

Process the bread with half the tarragon, salt and Cayenne pepper, in a food processor.  Taste for seasoning, and adjust, if necessary, with salt and pepper and reserve.

In a small bowl, mix the yoghurt with the mustard, mayonnaise, cheese, the remaining tarragon, salt, pepper, thyme and grated lemon rind.   Taste for seasoning and adjust, with salt and pepper, if necessary

Boil the cauliflower in salted water with garlic, lemon juice and rind, until just tender. Strain well and dry on double kitchen paper. Discard the garlic and lemon rind

 

Place the cauliflower florets, in a buttered baking dish, in a single layer.  Cover with the yoghurt sauce and sprinkle evenly with the bread mixture and drizzle with olive oil.  Bake in a moderate oven preheated to 190C (375) for 20-30 minutes, until well browned.

       CAULIFLOWER WITH EGG AND LEMON SAUCE FROM THE DODECANESE

I was given this recipe by my friend June Marinos, who has written several successful cookery books

¾ kg (1.5 lbs) cauliflower cut in florets

Juice of 1 lemon

Rind of ½ lemon

4 garlic cloves

½ kg (1 lb) ripe tomatoes, halved, grated, skins discarded

3-4 tbsp butter

Salt and pepper

3-4 slices of ham, chopped (optional)

2-3 eggs

2-3 tbsp lemon juice

Boil the cauliflower in salted water, with the lemon juice and rind and the garlic cloves, until just al dente. Strain the cauliflower (keeping 250 ml (1 cup) cooking liquid) and reserve. Discard the lemon rind but not the garlic cloves.  

Place the tomatoes, the reserved boiled garlic and butter in a saucepan and season with salt, pepper and sugar and simmer until sauce thickens a little.  Add the cauliflower and simmer until nearly done, adding a little cooking liquid if necessary, and then stir in the chopped ham (if using).  

Remove the saucepan from the fire.   Beat the eggs and lemon juice together and pour slowly over the cauliflower, shaking the saucepan.   Re-heat the cauliflower to the simmering point, being careful not to let it boil.  Serve sprinkled with freshly ground black pepper.

BROCCOLI AND CAULIFLOWER SLICE

This is a delicious first dish.   Just serve with a green salad, a glass of white wine and crusty brown bread.  

500 g (1 lb) broccoli and cauliflower in equal amounts

Salt

6 garlic cloves

Rind and juice of ½ a lemon

120 g (4 oz) mild feta cheese (if too salty, soak for 10 minutes)

White pepper

Nutmeg

2 heaped tbsp grated Graviera from Naxos, or  Parmesan

2 egg yolks, beaten

4 egg whites whipped to the soft peak stage with a pinch of salt

Parsley for garnish.

Preheat the oven to 180 C (350 F) and place a large, deep baking tin half filled with boiling water (au bain Marie)  on the bottom shelf of the oven.

In a large saucepan with salted water cook the garlic cloves and the lemon rind for 10 minutes.   Rub the cauliflower with the lemon juice and cook until tender, place it in a colander to drain.  Boil the broccoli until cooked, and drain.  Discard the lemon rind but reserve the cloves of garlic.

Pulse the vegetables with the garlic, feta cheese, white pepper, nutmeg and the grated cheese, not too much, so that it keeps some texture.  Taste and add a little salt and pepper, if necessary. Place in a bowl, stir in the beaten egg yolks and fold in the whipped egg whites.  

Spoon the mixture into a loaf tin, lined with oiled baking parchment and even the surface. Bake au bain Marie, (the water should come up two thirds of the height of the loaf tin) for 45-50 minutes until set and slightly brown.   Remove from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes. Then reverse on a dish and garnish with parsley.