I used to think I could make just about any vegetable taste good to just about anybody, but I also used to believe that good things happen to good people. So naive. Now, a husband who picks every last pea from a curry and a son who views any “healthy” food with suspicion partner up to keep me humble.
Thank goodness for the accidents. This one happened when I was prepping some broccoli to go alongside the kid’s typical protein. He likes the flavor of lemon in desserts, so I decided to test how well it would go over in savory form, and made a punchy, garlicky, lemony vinaigrette. Who could resist? I was in a hurry (of course), so I whisked the dressing in a large bowl, and when the florets came out of the steamer, I tossed them right in the dressing.
Anybody who’s dressed a vinegary potato salad while the spuds are still warm knows what happened next: The broccoli, its cells open like pores during a steamy facial, absorbed the flavors of the dressing into every nook and cranny. The result went over like a charm, with the teenager — and husband — asking me to make broccoli that way pretty much every time since. I think the kid might have even, if only for a moment, realized that eating a green vegetable might actually be pleasurable if it’s cooked right.
Since then, I’ve been applying the technique to one of my other favorite warm salads: one based on grains and beans. I boil the rice in water and add chickpeas for the last few minutes to warm them up, too, and while they’re cooking I steam the broccoli over them. The flavors of the vinaigrette take just a few minutes to work their way in, and then I fold in something sweet/tart (dried cherries), something briny (olives), something crunchy (walnuts) and something grassy/herby (parsley). It’s more of a template than anything, with virtually all the elements — the type of grain, the type of bean, the starring vegetable and those add-ins — open to substitution.
The only nonnegotiable is the temperature. Dress it while everything is cold instead of warm, and you’ll miss the whole point.
I served the salad to my husband, who loved it, but I haven’t been brave enough to try it with the teenager yet. I don’t want to push my luck.
