Yes, broccoli can be absolutely delicious

When it is raw and fresh from the garden, broccoli tastes nothing like the watery mess (often swimming in butter and coated with salt and pepper) that shows up on restaurant dinner plates and in frozen food packages.

In its natural state, broccoli is crisp and tangy, with a little bit of a bite.

It’s too late to grow any plants of your own for this year, but think about getting some seedlings next spring; they’re unbelievably easy to grow — and the plants are tall enough that the rabbits and other backyard pests can’t molest them.

If you don’t have your own plants, a good market probably has plenty of fresh, crunchy broccoli at this time of year.  The broccoli we’ve been enjoying at home this month looks more like broccoli rabe; the individual florets are loosely combined, not packed tight together like a pincushion.

Broccoli is famously good for you. It is believed to help protect against stroke, cataracts and cancer. Even after it’s been boiled, broccoli has more vitamin C than an orange, as much calcium as milk and three times the fiber of a slice of wheat bran bread.

But, for the sake of your tastebuds, don’t boil it. Try it steamed, so it doesn’t lose its crunch (keep  a close eye on the stove, it’s a thin line between al dente and limp).

Or eat it raw. It tastes great with dip (you’ll have to forgive it for leaving bits of broccoli green in the bowl) and is especially good with some creamy hummus.  

Try cooking it Japanese-style: sauté it over high heat in olive oil with a dash of sesame or peanut oil. When the florets are deep green and crisp, put them in a bowl and toss with some soy sauce and sesame seeds (toasted black seeds look especially dramatic; and sesame is a good source of iron, zinc and calcium). For a soft, sweet contrast: toss in some roasted garlic cloves.

Broccoli goes well with pasta and cream sauce, of course, and is always nice when paired with butter (especially if it isn’t allowed to turn soggy and mushy) or cheese (Martha Stewart has a recipe that calls for steamed broccoli mixed with garlic, olive oil and red pepper flakes, topped with grated Manchego cheese).  It often finds itself hidden beneath layers of bread crumbs, in a casserole, or tucked into the creamy folds of a quiche. I like it less when it’s  in mufti like that, however.

Sesame beef with broccoli

adapted from Martha Stewart

Serves four

1 tablespoon olive oil

3/4 pound filet of beef, cut into thin slices (a nice piece of sirloin cut into relatively fatless strips is fine)

Coarse ground salt

1/4 cup chopped scallions

1 tablespoon sesame seeds

1 garlic clove, minced

1 head of broccoli, stalks removed and separated into individual florets

1/2 cup water

1 cup low-sodium beef broth

3 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon plus two teaspoons cornstarch

1 teaspoon sesame oil

Season the beef with a little salt and then cook in a teaspoon of the olive oil. Don’t overcook it because you’ll be adding it to the broccoli and cooking it a bit more. Remove from the skillet with a slotted spoon and set aside.

Saute the garlic and scallions in the remaining olive oil, then add a half cup of water and the broccoli. Continue cooking over medium heat until the water evaporates away (this should take just a few minutes); the broccoli should be steamed and crisp, not limp and soggy.

Mix the broth, soy sauce and corn starch in a bowl so that the cornstarch doesn’t clump up. Add to the skillet and cook, stirring constantly, until the sauce is clear, not cloudy. Add the beef and any beef juices and cook, briefly, just until the beef is warmed through. Stir in the sesame oil and sesame seeds (garnish with some additional scallions if you like). Serve over rice.