Six Seasons

by Joshua McFadden

  ¾ pound broccoli, dried ends trimmed and stems peeled, cut into chunks and small florets

  1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

  Juice of 1 lemon

  Extra-virgin olive oil

  Fill a large pot with water and add salt until it tastes like the sea. Add the potatoes, bring to a boil, and cook until the potatoes are quite tender but not fully tender, about 15 minutes from when the water starts to boil.

  Add the broccoli and keep boiling until both are fully tender, another 6 to 8 minutes. Drain thoroughly and return to the pot.

  Mash the vegetables with a potato masher or big spoon until the vegetables are crushed but still chunky. Add the Parmigiano, followed by the lemon juice, and then season generously with salt and pepper. Mash a bit more and fold to blend everything. Taste and adjust the salt, pepper, and lemon. Finish with a good dose of olive oil—start with ¼ cup and add more to taste.

  Serve right away, though you can make these ahead and reheat them gently in a covered dish in the oven or in a pan on the stovetop with a little bit of water to loosen them.

  Pan-Steamed Broccoli with Sesame Seeds, Parmigiano, and Lemon

  Pan-steaming in just a small amount of water keeps the vegetable from getting waterlogged—plus, it’s so much easier than setting up a proper steamer basket.

  » Serves 4

  1 lemon

  Extra-virgin olive oil

  2 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled

  ¼ teaspoon dried chile flakes

  1½ pounds broccoli, stems trimmed and peeled, then cut lengthwise into long-stemmed florets the full length of the stems (aim for even sizes)

  Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

  ¼ cup sesame seeds, lightly toasted

  ½ cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

  Grate the zest from the lemon into a large bowl. Halve the lemon and squeeze the juice into the bowl (fish out and discard the seeds) and set aside.

  Heat a nice glug of olive oil in a large skillet that has a lid over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook slowly to toast the garlic so it’s very soft, fragrant, and nicely golden brown—but not burnt—about 5 minutes. Add the chile flakes and arrange the broccoli in an even layer—it’s okay if the pan is crowded. Season with ½ teaspoon salt.

  Increase the heat to medium-high and add a nice big splash of water, about ¼ cup (enough water to create steam, but not so much that the broccoli sits in water and gets soggy), and put the lid on right away. Steam the broccoli until it’s tender, adding more water a few times. The whole process should take about 10 minutes.

  When the broccoli is cooked, transfer it to the bowl where the lemon is waiting. Add the sesame seeds and lots of twists of black pepper and toss gently. Taste, adding more salt, chile flakes, or black pepper as needed. Add ¼ cup olive oil, toss again, and then shower with the Parmigiano. Serve warm or at room temperature.

  MORE WAYS:

  Transform this into a main dish: Add some diced fresh chile—hot or mild, as you like—to cook along with the garlic. Just before you add the broccoli, increase the heat and add 1-inch chunks of boneless chicken breast or chicken thighs, let them cook for a minute, then add the broccoli and continue with the recipe.

  Make a medley: Use a mix of vegetables in addition to the broccoli: carrot coins, cauliflower florets, chunks of summer squash.

  Take the flavors to a deeper place: Use broccoli rabe instead of broccoli. Increase the amount of garlic and chile flakes. Add a few chopped anchovy fillets to the oil along with the chile flakes. Omit the sesame seeds, and add nice black olives and capers and a big handful of chopped flat-leaf parsley to finish.

  Rigatoni with Broccoli and Sausage

  There are two cooking tricks in this recipe. First, tossing the florets into the pasta pot for the last couple of minutes of cooking: It’s efficient, but it also integrates the broccoli into the pasta sauce, as all the florets break up when you drain and toss the pasta. The second trick is shaping the sausage into patties instead of crumbling the sausage into the pan and browning it. You get a deep, browned crust on both sides of the sausage patty, but the interior stays moist. When I finish the dish, I break up the patty, producing crunchy bits, soft bits, tender bits—you get a lot of texture and flavor without overcooking the sausage. The hot pasta water added to the dish finishes off any of the undercooked bits of sausage.

  » Serves 4

  3 to 4 garlic cloves, very thinly sliced

  Extra-virgin olive oil

  1 pound sweet or hot Italian sausage, bulk or casings removed

  Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

  8 ounces rigatoni

  1 pound broccoli, stems trimmed and peeled, stems sliced crosswise into ¼-inch coins, and tops cut into florets

  ¼ teaspoon dried chile flakes

  ½ cup Whipped Ricotta

  About 1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

  ¼ cup Dried Breadcrumbs (optional)

  Put the garlic in a small bowl and pour over enough olive oil to cover. Shape the sausage into 4 balls, then flatten them like a hamburger patty.

  Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add salt until it tastes like the sea. Add the pasta and cook to just shy of al dente according to the package directions.

  Meanwhile, heat a small glug of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the sausage patties and cook until nicely browned on one side, about 4 minutes.

  Add the broccoli coins and the sliced garlic, including the oil, to the skillet. Flip the sausage patties and keep cooking until the sausage is just about fully cooked (it’s okay if it’s a touch pink in the center, because it will continue to cook a bit), another 4 minutes or so. Break up the sausage with a spoon into bite-size chunks. Add the chile flakes and cook for 30 seconds or so. With a ladle or a measuring cup, scoop out about ¼ cup of the pasta cooking water, add it to the pan to stop the cooking of everything, and slide the pan from the heat.

  About 3 minutes before the pasta should be al dente (according to the package directions), add the broccoli florets and cook all together until the pasta is ready. Scoop out another cup of pasta cooking water, drain the pasta and broccoli, and add to the skillet.

  Return the skillet to the heat. Add ¼ cup or so of the pasta water, the whipped ricotta, and half the Parmigiano. Season generously with salt and black pepper. Shake the pan to combine the ingredients, put back over medium heat, and cook for a couple of minutes to warm everything through and make a nice saucy consistency.

  Serve with more Parmigiano and top with the breadcrumbs (if using).

  “Chinese” Beef and Broccoli

  There’s nothing Chinese about this dish, other than that it reminds me of the takeout treat of my youth. The vinaigrette (which lasts in the fridge for weeks) is good on just about anything, including pork, sausages, and lots and lots of vegetables, so I’m pretty sure you’ll be keeping a batch on hand. Once you’ve made the vinaigrette, putting this dish together takes literally 15 minutes.

  » Serves 2

  ¾ pound tender steak, such as rib-eye or filet mignon

  Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

  1 pound broccoli, stems trimmed and peeled, stems sliced crosswise into ⅛-inch coins, and tops cut into florets

  About ⅓ cup Caper-Raisin Vinaigrette

  1 cup Dried Breadcrumbs

  Season the steak heavily with salt and pepper. Let it sit for at least 10 minutes and up to 1 hour.

  Heat a heavy medium skillet over high heat. Blot off any moisture from the surface of the steak, add it to the skillet, reduce the heat to medium, and cook until the first side is nicely browned and the steak looks about one-third done.

  Flip the steak and cook until rare or medium-rare. The timing depends totally on the thickness and texture of your steak; a 1-inch filet mi
gnon will take about 10 minutes total to get to medium-rare. Transfer to a plate to rest and tent with foil. Don’t wipe out the skillet.

  Pile the broccoli florets and coins into the still-hot skillet, increase the heat to high, add ½ cup water, cover, and steam for 3 to 4 minutes. Uncover and cook until the broccoli is tender and the water has evaporated, another 3 to 4 minutes, depending on the size of your florets.

  Remove the pan from the heat, add ⅓ cup vinaigrette, and toss to combine. Taste and adjust with more vinaigrette, salt, or pepper.

  Slice the steak across the grain. Arrange the broccoli on a plate or platter, top with the steak and any accumulated juices, sprinkle the breadcrumbs over everything, and serve right away.

  In the kitchen Don’t worry so much about serving your steaks hot—focus instead on serving them juicy and tender by letting them rest for a good 5 to 10 minutes. The bigger the cut, the longer the rest.

  Charred Broccoli with Tonnato, Pecorino, Lemon, and Chiles

  Chips and dip, but with fresh vegetables instead of potato chips! Most charred vegetables are delicious, but broccoli takes to charring especially well because the tips of the florets char at a different rate than the dense stem, which creates layers of crispy and juicy textures.

  » Serves 4

  1½ pounds broccoli, stems trimmed and peeled, cut into long florets

  1 lemon, halved, and one of the halves cut into 4 wedges

  Dried chile flakes

  Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

  Extra-virgin olive oil

  A nice chunk of aged Pecorino Romano, for grating

  2 tablespoons Dried Breadcrumbs

  Tonnato (optional)

  Heat the broiler.

  Spread all the broccoli on a rimmed baking sheet and broil—with no oil—until it is slightly softened and nicely charred on most surfaces, turning once, 5 to 7 minutes. You can also do this on a grill, but you’ll need a grill basket.

  Pile the broccoli into a bowl and squeeze the half lemon all over it. Season with ½ teaspoon chile flakes and generous amounts of salt and black pepper. Add ¼ cup olive oil and toss. Taste and adjust the seasoning until it’s delicious.

  Arrange the broccoli on a serving platter, grate a nice shower of pecorino over the top, sprinkle on the breadcrumbs, if using, and serve with the lemon wedges. Set out the tonnato as a dip.

  Broccoli Rabe, Mozzarella, Anchovy, and Spicy Tomato

  This easy-to-put-together casserole is a bit like eggplant Parmesan, but way lighter and more nutritious. If you want to make the dish fully vegetarian, leave out the anchovy.

  » Serves 4

  ½ pound fresh mozzarella cheese

  Extra-virgin olive oil

  2 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled

  5 or 6 anchovy fillets

  Dried chile flakes

  1 pound broccoli rabe, dried ends trimmed, chopped 2 or 3 times to shorten the stalks

  Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

  One 14-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes, drained and roughly chopped

  2 tablespoons grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

  Slice the mozzarella into ¼-inch rounds and arrange on paper towels. Cover with more towels and then set a heavy pan or baking sheet on top to apply moderate pressure. This will remove some of the moisture in the cheese and help it brown nicely. Leave to drain until you’re ready to assemble the dish.

  Heat a nice glug of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook slowly to toast the garlic so it’s very soft, fragrant, and nicely golden brown—but not burnt—about 5 minutes. When toasted, smash the garlic cloves with a wooden spoon, add the anchovy, and let it dissolve into the oil. Add ¼ teaspoon chile flakes.

  Add the broccoli rabe, season lightly with salt and black pepper, and toss around in the pan so it’s coated with the seasoning. Cook over medium heat until the leaves are wilted and the stems are starting to soften a bit, 6 to 8 minutes.

  Add the tomatoes and shake the pan so the tomatoes settle around the broccoli rabe. Cook until the broccoli rabe is fully tender and the tomatoes are reduced, 10 to 12 minutes more. The tomatoes should be thick and almost pasty, not saucy-liquidy. If it’s not thick enough, you can take out the broccoli rabe, transfer it to the baking dish you’ll use, and cook the tomatoes for another couple of minutes, stirring and scraping the pan.

  Heat the broiler. Arrange the broccoli rabe and sauce in a baking dish large enough to accommodate it all in more or less a single layer.

  Arrange the drained mozzarella on top, drizzle with some olive oil, and broil until the cheese is browned and the casserole is bubbling slightly, about 10 minutes.

  Let cool for a couple of minutes, sprinkle with the Parmigiano, drizzle with a bit more olive oil, and serve hot, so the cheese is melty.

  In the kitchen To prevent fresh mozzarella from getting rubbery when you cook it, press out as much liquid as possible before cooking. Arrange slices between several layers of paper towels and press with a heavy weight, such as a frying pan.

  Cauliflower

  When you imagine a cauliflower, you probably picture it white, but these days the vegetable comes in multiple colors, from snowy white to orange to green . . . even vivid purple. And while I’m pretty sure you couldn’t tell any difference in flavor if you tasted them all blindfolded, the colors are fantastic to play with when creating a dish. Cauliflower is wonderful raw, though be sure to season it well. But it’s totally versatile and loves to be roasted, fried, steamed, pickled, or grilled.

  Weight and wait. When selecting your cauliflower, look for very tight, heavy, and brightly colored heads. A cauliflower’s size does not affect the flavor. Avoid any heads that are speckled with dark mold, which means they’re old or have been stored poorly. Cauliflower will keep happily in the refrigerator for several days—longer than many vegetables—but don’t make it wait for you for more than four or five days.

  Getting inside the head. The whole head can be eaten—florets (called “curds”), center stem, and tender leaves. The leaves have usually been cut off before the cauliflower ever reaches the supermarket, but farmers’ market cauliflower will still be cradled by pale celadon leaves that are succulent and crisp. Slice them thin and add to your dish, raw or cooked. Cauliflower can be vexing because the head is dense and not easy to break apart with your hands. Start by cutting away any leaves, and if they’re tender, reserve them to add to your dish. With a sharp, stiff paring knife, cut out the central stem, reserving it to use in your dish as well. The stem of a cauliflower doesn’t need to be peeled, like broccoli does; just cut away the very end if it’s dried. Now you can maneuver your knife to the interior, where you’ll cut away individual florets, following the natural branching of the vegetable to yield long-stemmed florets. Cut pieces of the stem into coins or chunks.

  Raw “Couscous” Cauliflower with Almonds, Dried Cherries, and Sumac

  In this dish, I crumble the raw cauliflower so that it has the look and texture of couscous—it’s easy and unexpected and makes you think of cauliflower in a whole new way. If you can’t find dried tart cherries, use golden raisins or even chopped dried apricots; the idea is to have a sweet-tart and chewy element as contrast to the granular vegetable. And be sure to dress and season this salad generously. Underdressed, it risks being dry.

  » Serves 4 to 6

  3 ounces dried tart cherries, roughly chopped (about ½ cup)

  ⅓ cup red wine vinegar

  ¾ pound cauliflower or Romanesco

  3 scallions, trimmed (including ½ inch off the green tops), sliced on a sharp angle, soaked in ice water for 20 minutes, and drained well

  2 teaspoons ground sumac

  ½ teaspoon dried chile flakes

  Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

  Extra-virgin olive oil

  1
cup almonds, toasted, half very roughly chopped and half more finely chopped

  ½ cup roughly chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves

  ½ cup mint leaves

  Put the dried cherries and vinegar in a small bowl and leave to plump for at least 30 minutes.

  If the cauliflower still has outer leaves and they look fresh, chop them. Cut the stem from the cauliflower and cut the head into small florets. Chop the stem into small chunks.

  Add some of the stem chunks to a food processor; don’t fill beyond halfway. Pulse to chop the stems finely, scraping down the sides a couple of times, and then dump into a large bowl. Finish processing the stems this way, and then do the same with the florets. The goal is to create dry, crumbly cauliflower bits that resemble couscous.

  Add the scallions to the bowl with the cauliflower. Add the cherries and soaking vinegar and toss to mix well. Season with the sumac, chile flakes, 2 teaspoons salt, and generous twists of black pepper. Taste and adjust the salt, chile flakes, and vinegar until the cauliflower is highly seasoned and well balanced. Now add ¼ cup olive oil, all the almonds, the parsley, and mint and toss well. Taste again and add more seasonings and oil if you like. Serve cool or at room temperature.

  Roasted Cauliflower, Plums, Sesame Seeds, and Yogurt

  In my book, it’s impossible to add too many sesame seeds, so pour ’em on. You want the plums to be bright and juicy, so choose something like a Santa Rosa or even one of the pluot varieties. Italian prune plums are not right for this dish, because they are drier and generally less acidic. The salad is best at room temperature, which allows the flavors to blossom.

  » Serves 4