BROC N ROLL

Broccoli is a bona fide mealtime hero. As these tasty recipes show, it's versatile and packs a healthy punch

With a bit of creativity, broccoli can be incorporated into most meals. Have it raw or gently blanched in seasonal salads, blitz it and turn into simple fritters, or steam and serve as a side-dish.

The key with broccoli is not to boil it to death. Not only will you lose its wonderful crunch and flavour, you will also lose the key nutrients, which is why we want to eat it in the first place.

Grow Your Own

Now is a good time to plant broccoli.It grows well in cooler months and needs rich, moist, composted soil to thrive. Broccoli will take 50 days from seedlings to fully mature.

Space your seedlings 30-40cm apart. Pick when the flowerheads are firm

Cook It Clever

Add broccoli to your favourite winter soup to give it a nutritional boost or incorporate in wintry salads. Serve as an accompaniment lightly grilled and served with lemon, olive oil and almonds.

Blitz it raw with garlic, olive oil, pine nuts and parmesan to make a healthy pesto alternative.

Broccoli, brown rice and cashew salad Serves 4

Keep your broccoli tender but crisp and once it melds with the dressing, herbs and nuts even those who proclaim to hate broccoli are surprised at how good this tastes.

1 cup brown rice

1 head broccoli, large

2 spring onions, finely chopped 1 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half 3 cups mixed lettuce leaves

¼ cup mint leaves, sliced

¼ cup fresh coriander, sliced

2 tsp sesame oil

2 Tbsp soy sauce

2 Tbsp mirin

1 tsp ginger, finely grated

1 Tbsp tahini

½ cup toasted cashew nuts

2 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds

1 Cook brown rice according to packet instructions, drain, rinse under cold water and set aside.

2 Cut broccoli into small florets and blanch for a couple of minutes until just tender then cool under cold water and leave to drain well.

3 Trim the tough outer parts from the stem of the broccoli and cut into small pieces and place in a large bowl.

4 Add the spring onion, lettuce leaves (broken into small pieces if large), tomatoes, mint, coriander, cooked rice and broccoli to the bowl.

5 Mix the sesame oil, soy, mirin and grated ginger together in a jug. Place the tahini in a bowl and slowly add the soy mixture, whisking to incorporate.

6 Pour over the salad and toss lightly to combine.

7 Sprinkle with cashew nuts and sesame seeds before serving.

Serves 4

This salad is a good vegetarian main course or would go well with roasted or barbecued lamb.

650g purple kumara, peeled, cut into 3cm chunks

6 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

25g sunflower seeds

40g pumpkin seeds

50g kasha, (toasted buckwheat) 350g broccoli, sweet stem variety, ends trimmed, halved lengthways and cut into 5cm lengths

1 preserved lemon, peel only, finely diced

½ cup pitted kalamata olives

3 Tbsp cider vinegar

200g feta, crumbled

1 small handful coriander leaves

1 Heat the oven to 200C. Line a shallow oven tray with baking paper.

2 Put the kumara on the tray and add

2 tablespoons of the oil, salt and pepper.

Mix very well, spread out into one layer and place in the oven for 30 minutes or until the kumara is tender and browned. 3 Meanwhile toast the seeds and kasha separately. Using a dry pan over moderate heat add the sunflower seeds and toast, stirring frequently, until beginning to brown. Remove from the heat and cool.

4 Do the same with the pumpkin seeds, toasting them until they pop and brown. 5 Lastly put the kasha into the dry clean pan and toast until just darkening in colour. Remove from the pan and cool. 6 Bring a saucepan of salted water to the boil and add the broccoli. Boil gently for 2 minutes then drain well.

7 Put the warm kumara and broccoli into a salad bowl and add the seeds, kasha, preserved lemon, olives, the remaining oil and the vinegar. Mix well. Taste and season.

8 Serve sprinkled with feta and coriander.