Last year was the first year that Jay or I had homegrown broccoli, and we were astounded. We, er, I like fresh broccoli with or without the side of ranch dressing and think, er, thought what I had tasted just fine. But, oh my. The difference between fresh broccoli and what I had been eating is equivalent to the difference between ice milk and Freddy’s Frozen Custard. YUM! Not to mention, these were not your typical broccoli heads. They were HUGE, as you can tell by the pic of L modeling her broccoli bouquet from last fall.
Apparently, broccoli – like most fruits and vegetables – begins to lose its natural sugars and crispness the moment it is cut from the ground. Frozen veggie companies work hard to minimize the time from cutting to frozen, in hopes of maintaining those good qualities. That’s also why stores work so hard to get the freshest vegetables on their produce shelves.
I have a challenge for all you anti-broccoli fanatics out there. Just once, stop by the farmers market this summer and buy a fresh head of broccoli. As the old cereal commercial used to say, “Try it. You might like it.”
If flavor isn’t enough of an argument, how about health? CNN called broccoli "the superstar" of vegetable for a reason. Broccoli is a great source of Vitamins C & A, fiber, folic acid and iron. It can help boost your immune system and possible prevent some types of cancer.
My favorite way to eat broccoli is fresh, raw, with a side of dipping sauce. For those times I need to cook it, I use the Ziploc steam bags to steam it, then add just a pat or two of butter and a dash of salt.
As part of a bigger meal, Jay found this Beef and Broccoli meal that is delicious! It’s a great way to use the cheap cut of round steak and is so delicious that everyone around our table loves it, even L-the-picky-eater.
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