Broccoli Stems: a treat for the whole family

Sometimes it's the little things. Shulman's cookbook suggested this recipe as a tasty way to use the whole broccoli plant, even if another recipe calls for only the florets. Turns out it's both simple and very, very good.

     Garlic Broccoli Stems 
     from Martha Rose Shulman's Gourmet Vegetarian Feasts

• Stems from 1 1/2 lb broccoli, peeled and sliced 1/4-inch thick
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1 Tbls wine vinegar
• 1 clove garlic, minced or put through a press
• 2 Tbls olive or safflower oil
• [optional:  fresh dill]

1. Toss broccoli stems with salt in a jar and refrigerate several hours. Pour off whatever liquid accumulates and rinse.
2. Add vinegar, garlic, [dill] and oil and shake together well. Refrigerate for several hours. Place in a bowl and serve.

Toddler Approved!

Superb Strawberry Omelettes

This did sound a little strange upon first read, but I realized it's like a crepe, and crepes are delicious. As was this (and much easier to make than a crepe). A great way to use strawberries that may otherwise go squishy (does that happen in your house? We so rarely have fresh organic berries that when we do get them, I forget we have them!).

     Strawberry Omelette
     from Martha Rose Shulman's Gourmet Vegetarian Feasts

     For each omelette:

• 1 Tbls butter for pan
• 2 eggs, beaten
• a generous handfull of strawberries, stemmed
• 2 Tbls plain yogurt
• 1 tsp mild honey
• fresh mint for garnish (optional)

1. Heat butter in an omelette pan, and meanwhile beat the eggs.
2. Crush the strawberries very slightly and mix together with yogurt and honey.
3. When the butter has stopped sizzling, pour in eggs and tilt pan to coat evenly. Gently shake pan while lifting edges of omelette so that uncooked eggs can run underneath. As soon as it is set, spread strawberry mixture down the center. 
4. Fold omelette, cook a minute longer, and turn out of pan onto a plate. Garnish with fresh mint and serve.

I didn't have mint on hand, but otherwise made this according to recipe. Quick, easy, tasty. Perfect for that special early-summer breakfast or brunch. Share it with someone you love!

Fearless Feasting

I found a recipe over the weekend and knew I had to try it because (1) we usually have all the ingredients on-hand and (2) it looked super easy. I was not afraid! And so I made it today. And of course (1) we didn't have two of the ingredients and (2) it took twice as long to cook as the directions indicated.

That's how it goes, right?

I chose my recipe from Gourmet Vegetarian Feasts by Martha Rose Shulman. I've never used her cookbook before, but paging through it I found a lot of recipes that sound delicious (cold cherry-lemon soup, coucou a l'Iranien [basically a flat omelette with nuts], garlic souffle, curried lentil pate, and many more). Today's dish was one of the most simple in the book.

Cheese, Bread, and Tomato Casserole
Serves 6-8

Ingredients:

• 4-6 slices whole wheat bread
• 8 onces Cheddar cheese, grated
• 3 ripe tomatoes, sliced
• 4 eggs
• 2 cups milk
• 2 tablespoons dry white wine
• 1/2 teaspoon thyme, dried or fresh
• 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
• pepper, freshly ground
• sea salt to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350. Butter a 2-quart baking dish or souffle dish.
2. Layer bread, cheese, and tomatoes in that order, two layers each in prepared baking dish.
3. Beat together eggs, milk, wine, thyme, mustard, pepper, and salt. Pour over cheese, bread, and tomatoes.
4. Bake 35-45 minutes, or until puffed and browned.

I didn't have any thyme so I used tarragon and basil. And we were out of wine, and I probably could have just skipped the 2T, but I substituted some apple cider (I don't know why. Made me feel crafty or something).



How did it taste? Great! In fact those 6-8 servings disappeared into the bellies of just two adults and one-year-old. How long did it actually take to cook? Just shy of 90 minutes. I don't know what was going on, but there was a persistent runniness that took forever to cook out. Combination of cheese and egg and tomato or something.

Would I make it again? Yes. It was quick to put together and tasty in a simple, cheesy, egg-ish way. But next time I'll count on cooking it for an hour (checking on it after 45 mins).