Huh? Technically, it’s Brassica oleracea variation italica
or that veggie that the 41st President refused to consume, the
humble crown of broccoli. Why broccoli? For starters, broccoli crowns have been
on sale in the 50th ranging from $1.99 to $2.49 (yes, that is a sale
price in the 50th) so I’ve been consuming my fair share these past
couple of weeks. Secondly, I do like broccoli ever since my childhood when I
simply viewed them as small trees and thought of myself as a stegosaurus or
triceratops simply having a meal and I’m sure my parents didn’t mind me playing
with my food if that meant I was consuming a vegetable without a fight.
Broccoli
Production
Leading the world in broccoli production is China and
India which accounts for about 75% of the worldwide broccoli production.
Following way behind is the US (mostly in the Golden state), Mexico, Spain and
Italy which produces another measly 11% combined. It does prefer cooler weather
probably explaining why the 50th doesn’t grow any broccoli though
one Nichi Bei Weekly columnist does consume his fair share in the 50th.
Broccoli Nutrition
A 100 grams (roughly 1 cup of chopped raw broccoli) of
broccoli provides virtually your total daily requirement of Vitamin C and K and
is a good source of the B Vitamins riboflavin, pantothenic acid and pyridoxine.
It also provides a fair amount of thiamine, calcium, magnesium, manganese and
phosphorus along with 2.6gm of dietary fiber and just 34 calories.
Broccoli Casserole
This is my version of an original recipe from local Hawaii
icon, Hari Kojima’s Favorite Seafood Recipes cookbook. Boomers grew up with
Hari Kojima on Let’s Go Fishing when he initially taught viewers how to clean
and cut fish as one of the senior fish cutters at Tamashiro Market. His
popularity on the show eventually got him the position of co-host for the show
which eventually expanded into Hari’s Kitchen. The original recipe was a crab
and broccoli casserole made with a simple Mornay sauce and mushrooms. Instead
of simply incorporating steam broccoli, I roast my broccoli with garlic and use
a variety of smoked cheeses along with smoked paprika and salt.
About 5 heads of broccoli, cut to large bite sized pieces
About 3 to 4 cloves of garlic, minced
Olive oil
Toss the broccoli with the garlic and olive oil, place on
a roasting pan and cook at 400 degrees for about 15 to 20 minutes – you don’t
want to fully cook the broccoli as they also cook with the cheese sauce.
1 cup real crab or surimi
(imitation crab) or the protein of your choice (I used chopped leftover Easter
ham in my photo)
1 & ½ cup roughly chopped mushrooms – any variety
will work though I used enoki and shimeji as they were on sale.
2 tbsp butter
Quickly sauté the mushrooms until they release all of their
moisture as you don’t your casserole to turn into a soggy mess. If using
seafood protein, add at the end to simply heat. Terrestrial proteins can be
cooked with the mushrooms.
3 cups milk (I use skim milk for home consumption,
regular milk for potluck dinner parties)
¼ cup all-purpose flour
4 tbsp (1/2 block) butter
2 cups of equal parts of assorted grated cheeses – I
always add some Parmigiano Reggiano for the umami,
I also added smoked Provolone, smoked white cheddar and smoked Gruyere.
2 tsp smoked paprika
Smoked salt and black pepper to taste
Melt the butter over medium-high heat and added the flour
whisking for several minutes until the flour/butter mixture is cooked and
smooth then whisk in the paprika. Slowly add the milk continually whisking
until it starts to thicken then add the grated cheeses until a smooth sauce
forms, Season with the smoked salt and black pepper.
Finally mix this sauce with the roasted broccoli and
protein/mushroom mixture, place in casserole and bake at 375 degrees for 20 to
30 minutes. If I take this to a potluck, I’ll top it with a mixture of
Parmigiano, bread crumbs and olive oil to create a browned, crunchy top, for
home consumption I bake without any topping.
As you may already know, there aren’t very many things
that I don’t eat. Lesser, tough and often undesirable cuts of beef, pork or
poultry. Bittermelon, natto and other
foods that often appear or smell inedible. But I just can’t get myself to eat
raw broccoli. When I see raw broccoli on a crudité platter, I avoid it like the
plague. I once attended a potluck party and one of the guests brought a crudité
platter which included broccoli but they apparently just quickly blanched the
broccoli so it appeared steamed or boiled. Then I took that first bite and that
grassy, raw quality immediately assaulted my taste buds. Lest I looked like a
savage, I quickly munched the rest of the floret and quickly washed it down
with a large gulp of red wine. And though I love any form of cooked broccoli, I
just can’t get past the raw variety… unless it’s “cooked” in a vinaigrette.
Broccoli Slaw
If you’re like me and can’t get past the herbal
grassiness of raw broccoli, toss the pre-packed slaw with this miso vinaigrette and let it sit for
about an hour. The flavors of miso
and sesame oil masks the “green” raw flavor so that it seems like you’re simply
munching on a carrot slaw.
One 12 ounce package of broccoli slaw (about 4 cups)
1 tbsp miso
paste
1 tbsp sesame oil
¼ cup rice wine vinegar
3 tbsp vegetable oil (I used garlic flavored macadamia
nut oil)
1 tsp honey
1 tsp shoyu
Fresh cracked black pepper to taste
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