This Week at the Co-op: Broccoli

Spotted this week at the Greene Hill Food Co-op: Broccoli! We'd be the first to agree that sometimes broccoli gets a bad rap. Often relegated to rubbery ranch dressing ignominy on crudite plates or boiled and steamed into boringness, humble broccoli doesn’t often get the cruciferous credit it deserves. High in vitamin C, dietary fiber, and containing multiple nutrients with potent anti-cancer properties, nobody can argue that broccoli is good for you... but can it be delicious too? We're here to tell you: YES! This broccoli recipe is incredibly simple, requires few ingredients, and makes a vegetarian side that's delicious enough to convert any carnivore. It also calls for using the whole head of the broccoli, even the stems. Which, in these recessionary times, is pretty great. Enjoy!  

roasted broccolli

Lemony Roasted Broccoli

• 1 large bunch of broccoli, cleaned, trimmed and cut into florets and chunks of a similar size

• Zest of two lemons (lucky for you, the Co-op's lemons are organic- very important since you’ll be using the skin) and the juice of one of them

• 3-4 cloves garlic, minced or pressed

• 3-4 Tbsps olive oil for roasting

• Salt and Pepper

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Toss the broccoli with half the lemon zest, all of the garlic, salt, pepper, and the olive oil.

Place the broccoli florets on a heavy baking sheet large enough to hold them in a single layer.

Roast for 20 to 25 minutes, flipping once to ensure even roasting, until the pieces are crisp-tender and browned at the tips.

Remove the broccoli from the oven and toss with other half of the lemon zest and the juice from one lemon. Serve hot.

Featured image from Ben McLeod, recipe and images from here.