Broccoli and Zucchini Bowls with Tahini Sauce

Photo from ProduceGeek

The first farm share from Glade Road Growing on June 2 is slated to include broccoli. kale, lettuce mix, scallions and zucchini.  Here's a recipe that features the broccoli, scallions and zucchini.

Serves 4


1. To make tahini sauce, in a blender, combine until smooth
1/3 cup roasted sesame tahini
2 tablespoons lime  juice or rice vinegar
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
4 tablespoon miso paste
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1 clove of raw garlic

2.  Prepare veggies for cooking:
Slice 3 washed zucchini on the bias into ¼” to ½” slabs
Peel and thinly slice broccoli stems and break heads into bite-sized florets
Thinly slice 4 cloves of fresh garlic
Coarsely chop 3 scallions for garnish


3.  In each of  4 bowls cover bottom with 1 cup of  cooked starch (brown rice, quinoa, whole wheat or corn pasta, or sorba or rice noodles or your choice) topped with 1/2 cup of a cooked protein
(garbanzo or other beans, cubed chicken, thinly sliced  tempeh or your choice).  Set aside and cook vegetables

4.  To cook veggies, pre-heat 3 tbs olive oil in a 3-4” deep frying pan over medium-high heat
Add garlic, cook until translucent
Add zucchini and broccoli, season with salt and pepper
Cover with lid for 1-2 minutes to self-steam
Uncover, sauté for 3-4 minutes stirring and flipping frequently, until vegetables can easily be pierced with a fork.

5. Top each bowl of starch and protein with 1/4 of  veggie mixture,  drizzle on tahini sauce and garnish with scallions. Serve immediately.

Photo of the first share by Michael Sutphin.

Broccoli with Roasted Tetsukabuto Squash in Coconut Sauce.

Photo from Betty Crocker.

The November 3 farm share for Glade Road Growing is slated to include tetsukabuto squash, broccoli, a baby haukarai turnip bunch, bok choy, and dill. 

This is a recipe for broccoli with roasted squash.  Since tetsukabuto is popular in Brazil, I've added a suggestion of that country's cuisine by including homemade coconut milk.  (BTW, broccoli is pricey in Brazil, so collards would be more traditional.)

Serves 6


1.  Cut squash in half.  Scoop out seeds (and reserve to toast).  Roast cut side up in convection or conventional oven at 450 degrees until tender.  Cool enough to peel and chop into cubes.  You will use two cups for this recipe.  If you don't have tetsukabuto, any type of winter squash or pumpkin can be substituted.

You can refrigerate any surplus and serve with steamed bok choy, tempeh and brown rice topped with toasted pecans; with roasted turnips, topped with a sauce made from Greek yogurt and chopped fresh dill;  or  pureed into a soup which includes steamed or roasted turnips, Yukon gold potatoes and celery.

2.  While the squash is roasting, blend together 1 cups of of hot water and 1/2 cup of  unsweetened shredded coconut to make milk.  Refrigerate until ready to use.  (If you want, you can make extra.  It will keep for 3-4 days.  The "cream" may separate on the top.  Just shake or stir before using.)  I use the milk as is, but some folks prefer it to be more like the commercial product, which requires that you pour it through a mesh strainer lined with  several thicknesses of cheesecloth to remove the  remaining bits of coconut.

3. Trim ends off broccoli.  If stems are tough, peel.  Chop stems and keep separate.  Break top into  florets.  Steam stems until just tender and then add florets and continue to steam for about a minute or more until bright green and tender/crisp.

4.  In a serving bowl, combine broccoli and squash and toss with the coconut milk.  Top with dried cranberries (or pomegranate seeds) and pecans.  If you'd like this to be a main dish, substitute 3 cups of cooked black beans and 3 cups of cooked brown rice for the fruit and nuts.  Toss with the broccoli squash and coconut milk and season with salt and fresh ground pepper to taste.  Top instead with chopped cilantro.

BTW, tetsukabuto squash is a hybrid between Cucurbita maxima (which originated in South America from the wild C. maxima ssp. andreana over 4000 years ago) and Cucurbita moschata, whose cultivars (which include butternut and crookneck squash and pumpkins) are generally more tolerant of hot, humid weather and insects.  Tetsukabutos were developed in Japan and introduced to Brazil in 1960.  They are popular in the cuisine of both countries.

Broccoli and Dill Raita Slaw

Photo from Food Network. I first published this post on 6/13/14 at 10:03 PM and last updated it on 6/7/2014 to include a recipe for leeks and spinach and to add tags.

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Today, Glade Road Growing delivered its first farm shares, which included spinach, head lettuce, dill, broccoli, and leeks. I picked up my bag of produce at Vintage Cellar.  Here's a recipe you might want to try for Broccoli and Dill Raita Slaw:

1 cup plain non-fat yogurt
2 tablespoons lemon  juice
3 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
1 tablespoons minced fresh dill
1/2 tablespoon Garlic minced
1/2 tablespoon Ginger minced
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 medium shallot or 1 TB onions minced
2 cups of broccoli (peeled and sliced stems and florets)
2 cups shredded carrots
1/4 cup dried cranberries or pomegranate seeds
 1/2 cup sliced almonds, toasted

If you like you can lightly steam the broccoli and carrots or use them raw for more crunch.

In a large bowl, whisk together all of the ingredients except the broccoli, carrots, cranberries, and almonds. Taste for seasoning and adjust. Add remaining ingredients and gently toss. Chill before serving.

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For your leeks and spinach, you can try this soup:

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I'm lucky to swap veggies for posting a recipe every week here and on facebook.

The website has a sign up for July due by 6/29/14 here and that Sally Walker  recommends early sign up for the remaining 2014 growing season through November since she and Jason sold out of the monthly shares this month.  They are still willing to swap some volunteer time for produce this month, but it will have to be picked up at the farm (2351 Glade Road, Blacksburg, Virginia).  Planned crops include:

peas, spinach, bok choy, broccoli, lettuce and lettuce mix, radishes, carrots, cabbage, kale, beets, onions, garlic, yellow squash, zucchini, fennel, cucumbers, tomatoes, sweet peppers, hot peppers, eggplant, celery, celeriac, basil, beans, chard, kohlrabi, rutabaga, arugula, turnips, okra, winter squash, sweet potatoes, potatoes, parsnips, herbs (cilantro, dill, parsley and more.)