The Broccoli Experiment

The Broccoli Experiment

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Spring 2003 - Broccoli was planted in existing and new planting beds with mixed results. Plants in established beds produced compact flower heads, while plants in new, mostly clay areas bolted to seed quickly.

June turned out to be a very dry month and even plants that had produced excellent first cuttings bolted quickly when the side shoots developed.

July has been as wet as June was dry... the state has been flooded in various places but not the garden.

The broccoli plant shown flowering above has developed into a multitude of seed pods as shown at left. The seeds will be allowed to mature and then harvested for fall planting and again in spring 2004.
October 2003 - Indiana weather is fickle and the weather pattern changes every year. August was relatively dry and September was just about right, enough rain but not too much, now it's getting cold already. A few of the mature broccoli plants were trimmed out and the seeds harvested, other plants were pulled from the soil to make room for other fall crops. The plants that were trimmed produced a few more small flower heads, just enough for adding to salads.

So what's the point of this experiment? Well... the primary goal was to determine areas of the garden that allowed the broccoli to flourish through the summer rather than limiting the plants to spring production. In past years all broccoli has been produced from store bought plants rather than sown seed so allowing for seed production will allow for greater flexibility in planting. Also of interest are "broccoli sprouts"... that's right, like bean or alfalfa sprouts and touted as having several beneficial nutrients not found in other foods.

to be continued...

Broccoli
By Jennifer A. Wickes Copyright 2002

Broccoli is Italian for "cabbage sprout"...
Broccoli is related to cabbage, Brussel Sprouts and cauliflower...
Broccoli is deep green with tight clusters of florets on tiny tree-like buds known as the stem!

Science
Brassicaceae (Cruciferous family). Season
October to April.

How to Select
Choose broccoli with a deep color and no signs of drying or yellowing.

Storage
Store unwashed in the refrigerator up to 4 days. Equivalencies
1 lb. Fresh = 2 cups chopped
10 oz. frozen = 1 ½ cups chopped
1/3 lb. Per person (serving size)

Nutritional Qualities
Vitamin A, Vitamin C, riboflavin, calcium and iron.

Wine Pairings
Chenin Blanc, Pinot Grigio, Zinfandel Spices
basil, mace, rosemary, savory, sesame seeds

Preparation
Cut florets ½ inch below their heads, then snap off each cluster into small bite-sized pieces.

Boil: Cover in 1 inch of water for spears (or ½ inch water for 1 inch pieces) and cook for 10 minutes (5 minutes for 1 inch pieces)!

Microwave: Cut florets into 1 inch sized pieces and place in 2 tbsp. water and microwave for 4 minutes. Allow to stand for 2 minutes.

Steam: Steam for 15 – 20 minutes.

Stir-Fry: Heat 1 tbsp. of oil in a skillet. Add the broccoli in ¼ inch pieces and stir fry for 1 minute. Add 3 tbsp. of liquid and cook for 4 more minutes.

Additional Information http://www.broccoli.com

Recipes

Fusilli W/Broccoli & Garlic

4 cup broccoli flowerettes
6 cup garlic -- thinly sliced
1/3 cup olive oil
salt & pepper -- to taste

Sauté garlic in olive oil until JUST beginning to brown. DO NOT allow garlic to brown. At the FIRST sight of browning the garlic is finished. Any more cooking will make the garlic bitter. Add broccoli & toss to coat, then add this mixture to the hot, drained pasta and toss to mix completely. Season w/salt & pepper to taste & enjoy!

Yields: 4 servings

Cream of Broccoli Soup
Recipe By: Public domain recipes converted from Meal Master format

1 bunch broccoli
1 bouillon cube -- vegetable
1/2 cup butter
1/8 cup soy sauce
3/4 pound Swiss cheese -- grated
16 ounces sour cream
1 pound cheddar cheese -- grated
6 cups water
1 cup cashews -- ground

Sauté broccoli in butter for 10 minutes. Using blender combine all of the ingredients together. As blender fills, transfer liquid to soup pot and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes. Good with muffins or corn bread.

Yields: 12 servings

Broccoli Casserole
Recipe By: Joan P. Chilvers

2 packages frozen broccoli florets
8 ounces Velveeta (or Cheddar)
25 Ritz crackers -- crushed
1 stick margarine

Grease a baking dish. Cut the cheese into cubes and place in the bottom of the dish. Cook and drain the broccoli. Add 1/2 stick margarine to the broccoli. Place over the cheese. Melt 1/2 stick margarine and add crumbs. Put on top of the broccoli.
Bake, uncovered, at 350 for 20 - 25 minutes.

Yields: 8 servings

This article was originally published at Suite 101.

Jennifer Wickes is the editor at "Cookbook Reviews" and "Cooking With The Seasons", which has been voted to be one of the Top 100 Culinary Sites on the Internet! For more information about Jennifer Wickes or her columns, please go to: http://www.suite101.com/profile.cfm/CulinaryJen

Spring 2003 - Broccoli was planted in existing and new planting beds with mixed results. Plants in established beds produced compact flower heads, while plants in new, mostly clay areas bolted to seed quickly.	June turned out to be a very dry month and even plants that had produced excellent first cuttings bolted quickly when the side shoots developed.
	July has been as wet as June was dry... the state has been flooded in various places but not the garden. The broccoli plant shown flowering above has developed into a multitude of seed pods as shown at left. The seeds will be allowed to mature and then harvested for fall planting and again in spring 2004. October 2003 - Indiana weather is fickle and the weather pattern changes every year. August was relatively dry and September was just about right, enough rain but not too much, now it's getting cold already. A few of the mature broccoli plants were trimmed out and the seeds harvested, other plants were pulled from the soil to make room for other fall crops. The plants that were trimmed produced a few more small flower heads, just enough for adding to salads.
So what's the point of this experiment? Well... the primary goal was to determine areas of the garden that allowed the broccoli to flourish through the summer rather than limiting the plants to spring production. In past years all broccoli has been produced from store bought plants rather than sown seed so allowing for seed production will allow for greater flexibility in planting. Also of interest are "broccoli sprouts"... that's right, like bean or alfalfa sprouts and touted as having several beneficial nutrients not found in other foods. to be continued...


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