Blanch Time

A recent study has declared that broccoli, and other cruciferous vegetables (such as kale and cabbage) are depleted of their best nutrients after cooking too long.  They are no longer so good at fighting cancer.

I read this on an npr article, which claims that the best way to eat such vegetables is raw.

Perhaps if this were several hundred years ago and the soil in this country were good and clean and healthy, I would agree.  But I take issue with eating raw, even after a good wash.  For one thing, raw food is difficult to digest, but on top of it all, our soil is so full of nasty bacteria and farming practices are so wretched that I have a hard time eating raw food and thinking it's nothing but good for me. 

There are many proponents of a raw-foods diet.  However, I know many health conscious people who feel the opposite about it.

All of this brings me to a happy alternative, which makes food taste good but does not deplete it of its best nutrients: Blanching!

It's so easy and quick: you boil a pot of water, you drop your vegetables in there for maybe 30 seconds or one minute, and then you pull them out and submerge them in iced water.  Alternatively, you can blanch them in the water and set them aside to cool.  And, voila.  No bacteria to cringe about, no digestive issues to worry about, and alas, vegetables that are still intact, still full of all their nutrients, and oh so tasty.

All week we've been in an October heat wave, a sudden change from last week's storm.  Here is a spring/summer recipe that still works in October (as long as you can find the broccoli and cauliflower).  It's a salad with a killer dressing, but not the kind of salad with iceburg lettuce where you pour ranch on top and think you're somehow doing something good for yourself.  No, no no: this is all vegetables my darlings.

Cruciferous Salad with Garlic Parsley Dressing
2 cups fresh organic broccoli, cut into bite-sized pieces
2 cups fresh organic cauliflower, cut in bite-sized pieces
2 cups leek, sliced thin
2 organic carrots (optional)
-fill a medium sized pot with water and bring to a boil.  Individually blanch each vegetable for 1 minute, then set aside in a large bowl to cool. 

Garlic Parsley Dressing
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup parsley, minced
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar (preferably Bragg's)
1/4 cup olive oil
sea salt to taste

For dressing: combine all ingredients in a blender.  Add water to achieve desired consistency.

Pour dressing over your blanched vegetables.  Oh mah gaw.  It's delicious!