New veggie from the Old World

I love broccoli. And it has a very interesting history. It is entirely manmade. There is no such thing as natural broccoli. It was cultivated from cabbage by the Etruscans who lived in what is now Tuscany. They are considered to be horticultural geniuses.

Italians brought it to England in the 1700s, but broccoli was only introduced to the US in the late 1920s by Italian immigrants. So Americans haven’t been eating it very long in the grand scheme of things.

My favorite way to cook it is roasted. Cut broccoli stems into a large bowl. Add Kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper, olive oil and chopped or grated garlic. Mix well, spread on a sheet pan and roast in the oven at 425 for about 20 minutes until it gets crunchy around the edges. If you are trying to lower your salt intake just skip the salt and squeeze lemon juice over it when the broccoli comes out of the oven.

Here are a few recipes using broccoli that I particularly like.

Broccoli Cornbread

1 stick melted butter

1 box of chopped broccoli, thawed

1 pkg. Jiffy cornbread mix

4 eggs

3/4 cup cottage cheese

1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese

Mix all ingredients, and put in a greased 9 by 13 inch pan. Bake at 400 for 20-25 minutes.

Roasted Broccoli with Shrimp

2 pounds broccoli, cut into bite-size florets

4 tablespoons (1/4 cup) extra virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon whole coriander seeds (or 1/2 teaspoon ground)

1 teaspoon whole cumin seeds (or 1/2 teaspoon ground)

1-1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/8 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper

1 pound large shrimp, shelled and deveined

1-1/4 teaspoons lemon zest (from 1 large lemon) Lemon wedges, for serving

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a large bowl, toss broccoli with 2 tablespoons oil, coriander, cumin, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper and cayenne. In a separate bowl, combine shrimp, remaining 2 tablespoons oil, lemon zest, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and remaining 1/2 teaspoon pepper.

Spread broccoli in a single layer on a baking sheet. Roast for 10 minutes. Add shrimp to baking sheet and toss with broccoli. Roast, tossing once halfway through, until shrimp are just opaque and broccoli is tender and golden around edges, about 10 minutes more. Serve with lemon wedges, or squeeze lemon juice all over shrimp and broccoli just before serving.

Here’s a recipe to “fancy up” plain roasted broccoli (or any other roasted veggie) by adding a sauce:

Ripe Olive Sauce

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1/4 cup olive oil

1/2 cup finely chopped, pitted Kalamata olives

1 or 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

1/2 tsp. salt, or less to taste

1/4 teaspoon pepper

Sautee garlic in small saucepan over medium-low heat until golden, about 3 minutes. Do not let it brown. Add remaining ingredients and cook 1 or 2 minutes to heat olives. Pour over steamed or roasted fresh broccoli (or any vegetable).