You know that perfect, tight, deep-green head of broccoli you find at the market? Imagine it even better. Imagine finding it yourself.
Grab your sun hat and a pair of scissors, because the best broccoli in the Netherlands is currently standing in a field, ready to be claimed. This isn’t your average supermarket veg. On several “pluktuinen” (pick-your-own farms) across the country, broccoli grows like tiny, edible trees, and you get to be the harvester.
The Great Broccoli Hunt
Bring the kids, bring your friends, or bring your most competitive sibling. There’s a special kind of joy in crouching down, inspecting a row of sturdy stalks, and spotting the one. You’re looking for a head that’s firm, compact, and a rich blue-green color. If you see the little buds starting to separate and turn yellow, skip it – that one’s past its prime. Give it a good, clean snip with about 10-15 cm of stalk still attached. You’ll feel a weird little pang of power. The bees are busy, the sun is on your back, and your basket is getting heavy. This is the good life. Don’t forget to check the smaller side shoots! They’re a delicious bonus.
Once You’ve Liberated Your Broccoli
So now you’re home, covered in a bit of dirt, and feeling smug about your haul. Broccoli is a star. It waits for no one, so get it in a vase of water in the fridge (or cook it within a few days). Here’s how to make it sing.
Recipe 1: The Snappy Oven Roast
This one is for the people who think they don’t like broccoli. It changes minds.
- Preheat your oven to 220°C.
- Cut your broccoli into long, flat florets (think broccoli steaks or wide spears).
- Toss them with olive oil, a good pinch of salt, cracked black pepper, and a hefty squeeze of lemon juice.
- Spread them out on a baking tray. Don’t overcrowd them, or they’ll steam, not roast!
- Roast for 15-20 minutes, until the edges are brown and crispy, and the stalks are tender.
- Sprinkle with flaky salt and shaved Parmesan or nutritional yeast right before serving. You’re welcome.
Recipe 2: Lazy Sunday Mac & Cheese with Greens
This is comfort food that secretly isn’t terrible for you. It’s a hug in a pot.
- Boil 250g of pasta (elbows or shells) until al dente. Drain, but save a mug of the pasta water.
- In the same pot, melt 2 tbsp butter. Whisk in 1.5 tbsp of flour. Stir for a minute.
- Slowly pour in 500ml of warm milk (full fat, please), whisking constantly until it thickens.
- Turn off the heat and stir in a fistful of grated cheddar and a fistful of grated Gouda, salt, pepper, and a pinch of nutmeg.
- While that’s happening, steam or blanch your broccoli florets until bright green and just tender. Dump them into the cheese sauce.
- Add the cooked pasta and a splash of the reserved pasta water to loosen it up. Stir. Eat straight from the pot. For a bonus, top with buttered breadcrumbs and grill until golden.
The Crown Jewel: The Broccoli Cocktail
Yes, you read that right. It’s called a Broc-O-Lini (because cocktails with vegetables need fun names). It’s grassy, refreshing, and a total conversation starter at your next garden party.
- Ingredients: 2 oz vodka (or gin, if you’re fancy), 1 oz fresh lime juice, 1 oz simple syrup, 3 small raw broccoli florets.
- Method: Muddle the three broccoli florets in a cocktail shaker. Add vodka, lime juice, simple syrup, and a handful of ice. Shake very hard for 20 seconds. Double-strain into a chilled coupe glass. Garnish with one tiny, perfect, raw floret floating on top.
It tastes like spring. And it’s a vegetable. So it’s basically health insurance. Cheers from the field.