Broccoli With Pumpkin Seed Jazz
The term “jazz” (in recipes, anyway) might have originated with cookbook author extraordinaire Molly Baz, which won’t be surprising to anyone familiar with her singularly charming way with words. Molly worked with us at Glasserie back in 2013, and we’re ever grateful for this addition to our culinary lexicon. Our “jazz” is usually made with ground nuts or seeds mixed with spices — not dissimilar from dukkah, the Middle Eastern condiment. We like to use jazz to dress up vegetables, and because it’s always at least partially ground, it quickly comes together into a saucy coating. In this recipe, we toss the pumpkin seed jazz with perfectly cooked broccoli. If you want to make broccoli toast —and we know you do — this makes a good amount for two very hefty or four more modest toasts. Fry slices of thick-cut, crusty bread in olive oil and slather them with labneh before piling the broccoli sky-high.
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Creamy feta cheese marinated in oil infused with lemon and spices is something you probably want to have on hand all the time. You can infuse the oil in advance and use it for salad dressings and marinades.
Cherry tomatoes roasted in a spice-infused oil are combined with segments of grapefruit in an unexpectedly magical match that’s fantastic with creamy, tangy marinated feta.
Make the pumpkin seed jazz: Heat the oven to 300 degrees. In a small bowl, stir together the pumpkin seeds and olive oil. Spread onto a baking sheet and toast in the oven until deeply golden brown, 50 to 60 minutes, tossing halfway through. Remove from the oven and let cool to room temperature.
In a food processor (or using a mortar and pestle), combine the toasted pumpkin seeds, grated garlic, salt and Aleppo. Pulse to a fine pebble (30 to 45 seconds’ worth of pulsing), being careful not to grind into pumpkin-seed butter.
Cook the broccoli: In a large pot, bring 3 quarts water and the salt to a boil. Line a plate with paper towels. Add the broccoli and blanch for 1 to 2 minutes, tasting for tenderness. (Doneness is subjective here. You may like your broccoli more snappy or more tender than we do. Always taste to make sure it’s where you want it, keeping in mind that it’ll continue to cook from residual heat just a little more while it cools.) Using a spider or slotted spoon, remove the broccoli from the water, and place on the paper towels to drain, allowing it to fully dry.
In a cast-iron skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium-high heat. Add the broccoli and let it cook, untouched, for 5 minutes to get good color. Turn and cook the other side for 2 to 3 minutes more. Remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature.
In a large bowl, vigorously toss together the broccoli, the jazz, the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil, the lemon juice and orange juice. Before serving, top the broccoli with the pomegranate seeds and mint.
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