{"id":4772,"date":"2019-01-01T03:28:00","date_gmt":"2019-01-01T10:28:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/forestcamping.com\/blog\/2010\/03\/24\/i-love-broccoli\/"},"modified":"2019-01-19T05:51:48","modified_gmt":"2019-01-19T12:51:48","slug":"i-love-broccoli","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.forestcamping.com\/dow\/suzi\/i-love-broccoli\/","title":{"rendered":"I love broccoli"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"bowl<\/a><\/div>\n

I love broccoli!\u00a0 Did you know broccoli is a member of the cabbage family and was introduced to America by the Italians in the 1920s? Let’s thank those Italians.<\/p>\n

Unfortunately Fred’s and my mother\u2019s method of cooking any vegetable was boiling it beyond recognition so neither Fred nor I grew up with\u00a0 a dislike of broccoli.\u00a0 Fred, like President Bush Sr. have maintained\u00a0 a dislike of this vegetable into their senor year.\u00a0 I didn\u2019t discover the true nature of broccoli until my early 20s and it was love at first crunchy bite – I still remember it was a spear smothered in Ranch dressing.\u00a0 That was the start of our relationship.<\/p>\n

The following is my mostest favorite broccoli recipe of all time, especially for a summer meal.\u00a0 (Fortunately Fred won\u2019t eat the stuff so I have the whole recipe to myself.)\u00a0 You can dice up the peeled stems and toss them into the recipe or save the firm pale green goodness to toss into a\u00a0 lettuce salad or use in a stir-fry.\u00a0 When stir-fried the broccoli\u2019s stock have the firmness of a water chestnut.<\/p>\n

Broccoli Salad\u00a0<\/strong>\u00a0 \u00a0Yield: 4 large servings
\n4 cups fresh broccoli florets (1.5 lbs)
\n1 \u00bd cups seedless grapes, halved (optional but strongly recommended)
\n1 cup chopped celery
\n1 cup raisins
\n1\/3 cup light mayonnaise
\n1\/4 cup plain yogurt
\n3 Tbsp sugar
\n1 Tbsp white vinegar
\n1\/4 cup salted sunflower seed kernels or any other lightly salted nut
\nCrispy bacon pieces (optional)<\/p>\n

Combine the first four ingredients in a large bowl.\u00a0 Whisk together the next four ingredients. Pour this dressing over broccoli mixture and toss well.\u00a0 Chill at least one hour before serving.\u00a0 Sprinkle kernels\/nuts and bacon over broccoli just before serving.\u00a0 (The original recipe called for onion but I found, even a 1\/4 cup of finely diced red onion, detracted from the overall flavor.)\u00a0 Leftovers should be stored covered in refrigerator.<\/p>\n

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