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Classic broccoli saute doesn’t need a gimmick

Classic dishes and locally grown vegetables are the recipe for a happy summer of eating for me ... join in my excitement as I make a broccoli side dish using CSA farm, farm stand and my home garden veggies.

Usually I strive to find something original to add to a recipe to give it the “wow” factor. Hearts of palm in a sweet pea and black lentil salad, kelp noodles, well, with anything normal and homemade strawberry ice cream with coconut milk and Greek yogurt.

Some dishes, though, just don’t need anything funky mucking up the works. Margherita pizza, and broccoli saute using all that’s growing seasonally. I know I’m somewhat deviant — I think you’ve probably all caught on to that — but I get positively giddy when I eat something that has grown locally. My favorite Sunday game is guessing what we’ll get on our way to our CSA farm that week, and when it’s from our own yard, watch out … I’m a crazy woman.

This broccoli dish is everything that excites me: broccoli from our CSA farm, basil from our own garden and a tomato from the best farm stand in town. We’re talking local, baby! This is going to be as good as Kona’s farmer’s market pizza, I just know it!

I must digress for a moment and share with you the head-spinning fact that I had my first summer tomato today. Not the tasteless, store-bought, hard-as-a-rock tomatoes — I’m talking about the sweet, meaty fresh-off-the-vine down the street tomatoes … so juicy, so sweet, so delectably ripe and flavorful. Man, it was a good day. Digression over.

Summer Broccoli Saute

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Ingredients:

  • 1 giant head of broccoli, chopped
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 medium tomato, chopped
  • 1 good handful fresh basil, chopped chiffonade style
  • aged balsamic vinegar for drizzling
  • pecorino romano cheese, grated, for sprinkling

Heat a little olive oil in a skillet over medium heat then add the onion and broccoli. Saute for a few minutes, then add the garlic. Cook until vegetables are tender-crisp and a bit golden, maybe 5 to 10 minutes. Add the tomato and heat through, and toss in the basil after removing from heat. Before serving, drizzle with the aged balsamic and sprinkle with the pecorino romano cheese. Toss and serve.

This couldn’t be a more simple, classic recipe, but it’s the perfect way to use your summer harvest — and get your joy on from all the fresh, local food you’ve included in one dish.

Photo Credit: Debbie McDuffee

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