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YumI was running through a local farm market very near closing time when I suddenly heard one of the vendors yelling out to shoppers passing by. My ears shot up as I listened carefully.
“Half price on organic vegetables!”
I did what any red blooded American would do. I ran over and started grabbing what I could. My bounty has fed us through much of the week. Beautiful, tender lettuce for salads, butternut squash for a gratin, and baby kale that I sautéed in a Puttanesca Sauce (from the Gluten-Free Good Health Cookbook). I also bought enough broccoli to feed my younger son Bradford, a.k.a. sous chef boy, for several days; it is one of the four six green vegetables he will willingly eat (Brad has now read this and insists it’s eight. I can count only five that I’ve ever seen him put in his mouth- at home; we are compromising). But the broccoli was so fresh and so delicious that I really wanted some just for myself. I shoved my mother-guilt aside and made a quick and easy broccoli dish that I knew sous chef boy wouldn’t touch with a five foot pole – a broccoli salad. I kept it simple and made it colorful by throwing in some dried cranberries, roasted sunflower seeds, and a touch of honey. I tossed it in a little plain Greek yogurt and low-fat mayonnaise, but next time I’m going to try it with Vegenaise® and coconut yogurt in order to make a vegan version of the same dish. The wonderful thing is that this salad is very forgiving. I could make it with almonds and raisins, sour cream and mayo, toss in small pieces of yellow pepper or finely sliced red onion and it would still be delicious.
I got to eat my crunchy broccoli salad for lunch for a couple of days. It was so good that I’ve decided to treat myself to more broccoli – just for a salad – on my next visit to the farm market. If you think you might be due for a bit of a lunch treat, pick up the freshest broccoli you can find and make some broccoli salad soon.
Broccoli Salad
1/3 cup mayonnaise (lowfat, regular or Vegenaise)
1/3 cup plain Greek yogurt (or sour cream or coconut yogurt)
1 tablespoon honey
4-5 cups chopped very fresh broccoli (cut into bit size pieces)
1/2 cup dried cranberries (or raisins, or dried fruit)
1/2 cup roasted sunflower seeds (or sliced almonds or other chopped nuts)
1. Combine mayonnaise, yogurt and honey in a medium mixing bowl. Add chopped broccoli, cranberries, and sunflower seeds and toss to coat. Serve immediately or cover tightly with plastic wrap and store in refrigerator. Best when eaten within three days.
