Tuesday, October 14, 2008

Broccoli day. Frozen broccoli is never considered.



Uh oh.  I still haven't found my USB cable.  Whatever have I done with it?  Why can't I find one in my office??

So, let's have a post about our favorite ways to enjoy broccoli!  I'll start - I like to eat it.  I also like to feed the leaves to my cat, Zelda.

Actually, that's already boring me.  Instead I'll confess a secret about me and broccoli: whenever I buy it, whether it's from the farmer's market or grocery store, I immediately peek through the florets a couple times checking for my nemesis, the broccoli bug.  I've even posted on the PPK about my woes.
 It's worse than with greens because there are more places for them to hide!  I know vegetables are for animals and insects to enjoy, but the thought of my broccoli having fleas and me accidentally eating them drives me nutty.  No matter how many times I wash the infested broccoli and try to clean it in a cold water bath, rinse, repeat, smack it against the wall, the bugs remain!  I can't bring myself to boil the vegetable with the bugs.
When I bought the broccoli above at the Saturday farmer's market from the Artichoke folks for $1 a head and did my check, I seriously thanked the woman selling it for the bug-less-ness with a smile.  

And the rant is over.

This weekend I'm on the lookout for purple brococli. 

And a delicious way to enjoy broccoli-

Pasta Della California, from Veganonimcan.


17 comments:

Nicole said...

My cat's name is Zelda, too!

Michelle said...

Oh, I didn't realize you checked there, too!

Are the heads big yet? I can't tell from the pic. I love when she sells those giant heads of broccoli -- a steal!

Um...I like steamed broccoli florets. Then sprinkled with some spice. I like pan sauteed broccoli, too, but not as much. AA makes a raw soup out of broccoli that he hasn't made in a while but it is goooood!

aTxVegn said...

Everyday is broccoli day for me. I'm thankful I've never encountered a bug, but now I'm a little paranoid! Our broccoli season is seriously delayed due to the hot dry summer, but I'm anxiously awaiting. It looks great on the pasta with the avocado.

LizNoVeggieGirl said...

Steamed broccoli = daily indulgence :0)

DJ said...

I adore broccoli with taglietelle. As for the broccoli bug - have you tried putting vinegar in the cold water bath? This is something I've always done after reading it in a post-war encyclopedia - apparently the vinegar helps draw any beasties out of your veg! I've certainly had success with that other cruciferous hidey-hole, cauliflower!

Ria said...

Oh dear... I never check my broccoli for bugs. Gross. I have found black bugs in bags of rice on occassion!

funwithyourfood said...

I love that your cat is named Zelda. I don't have a cat right now but here are possible names it will be when i get one :)
Cornelius, Rupurt, Rajah and Adaline.
lol- yea a bit nerdy but you have to think about these things a little bit
Teddy

allularpunk said...

i haven't tried that recipe yet, but i keep thinking it looks good. maybe soon. and i've never known about this broccoli bug before! no! way to give me something ELSE to be paranoid about with my veggies, haha...

Jen said...

i tried growing broccoli in my garden one year and just got these gross worms. i'm embarassed to say that i get my broccoli most of the time from the grocery store and haven't found a bug in it yet.

Unknown said...

There's purple broccoli at Proper Eats right now, but no matter the novelty I just cannot bring myself to buy it, due to the purpleness. I love eggplant, but there ends my tolerance for purple vegis. 'cause I'm a freak like that :P

Anonymous said...

Yikes what are broccoli bugs? I get raw broccoli all the time - help!

thesundaybaker said...

I usually just rinse broccoli since I never find bugs. That said I do add salt to water when I wash more leafier vegetables. The salt kills the insects.

Melisser; the Urban Housewife said...

I fear the broccoli bug too!

Anonymous said...

I love that recipe from Vcon. It's truly delicious!

I'm a wimp, I only buy frozen broccoli. :-(

Adriana said...

The dreaded cabbage worm. They ate an entire tray (about 100 soil blocks) of cole crops. =(

x said...

I've thrown out out whole broccoli heads when I have realised there were bugs in ithem and they make little track marks/tunnels so I would feel sick trying to eat it :( I've had a good run lately, fingers crossed cause I love brocc <3

Anonymous said...

I about died when I was eating some broccoli earlier (I LOVE my broccoli!). When I showed my mom these little gray things on the stalk, and I said they were moving, she didn't believe me. Until she saw their little legs were moving (omg I started freaking). When I looked inside the container the whole thing was covered in these gray things that were moving. I was so surprised that they had survived in the fridge since Friday, but we dumped the whole thing. Mom said she bought organic broccoli, so maybe that's the case, I dunno.I swear I'm never going to eat broccoli for a while.