Oily Rag: Broc solid health and wallet

Broccoli is a superstar.

... it's a superstar among green vegetables and an undisputed nutritional champion.Nutrition specialist THE NZ Herald recently ran an article celebrating the health properties of broccoli. It's fair to say that broccoli is a staple for the oily rag garden. It's easy to grow, provides veges all year round, and is easy to use in the kitchen. It's also good for you.

The article reported that researchers have found eating broccoli can help asthmatics to breathe easier. An Australian nutrition specialist has described broccoli as, "a superstar among green vegetables and an undisputed nutritional champion".

Given it's so good for you, we would like to pass on some reader tips about growing it and using it in the kitchen.

Broccoli should be planted in a warm, sheltered spot in the garden between November and May. As a winter vegetable, it is harvested at a time when fresh vegetables may be scarce. About 10 plants sowed a few weeks apart are enough to provide a family with a continuous supply all year round, if the varieties are mixed.

It is a relative of the cauliflower, but the heads are green and, unlike cauliflower, broccoli sprout new flowers when cut. These side shoots will emerge in greater numbers and, within a few weeks, a new crop will be ready for eating. The heads should be harvested before the flowers open.

Cole from Auckland has a tip for maximising your broccoli plants. "Once you have cut the head off your broccoli plant, instead of pulling out and starting again, leave it in the garden. Smaller heads grow out just above where the leaves join the stem. You can keep eating broccoli for months. I did this a few years ago and we ate broccoli at least two or three times a week for about four months off eight broccoli plants."

Lilley has a favourite soup recipe that use up those tough broccoli stems. "You will need: 1 onion (diced), 1 large broccoli stalk (diced), any left-over broccoli florets, 1 large potato, 1 vege stock cube dissolved in 2 cups water, 1 tsp butter, 1/4 cup milk or cream, 1/4 cup cheese (optional), and salt and pepper. Saute onion in butter until clear. Add broccoli and potato. Cover with stock and simmer for 30 minutes until tender. Blend and season. Reheat with a little milk or cream. Sprinkle with cheese."

Another reader has a favourite lemon butter topping for broccoli. " Add 12 tbsp of lemon juice to 115g of melted butter. Mix in a little salt and pepper. Stir together and pour over cooked broccoli. Serve immediately."

If broccoli is to be frozen, blanch it first in boiling water to retain maximum flavour and colour. This is what you do: Bring water to boil in a large saucepan. Place cut veges in wire basket and completely immerse in boiling water. Cover and leave for four minutes. When done, cool quickly under cold running water. Drain to remove excess water then place in airtight containers or plastic bags in the freezer. Broccoli can keep in the freezer for eight to 12 months. Do not refreeze once thawed.

Broccoli is an excellent vegetable for a patio garden. Use the sprouting variety so you can keep harvesting florets. It likes rich soil filled with compost.

Winter is a great time to start making your own compost Here is one reader's easy method. "To make rich compost, place lawn clippings, weeds and other garden waste into a big black plastic rubbish bag. Seal the bag and leave. Turn it once a week and after three months you will have good garden compost."

-Don't forget to send your money-saving tips to us to share with the oily rag community, by emailing us at tips @oilyrag.co.nz or by writing to us at Living Off the Smell of an Oily Rag, PO Box 984, Whangarei.

Frank and Muriel Newman are the authors of Living Off the Smell of an Oily Rag in NZ. Readers can submit their oily rag tips by email at tips@oilyrag.co.nz.