Must a cooked vegetable side dish always be served hot? Time’s up. Time to cook broccoli and serve it up not warm, not at room temperature either, but as cold as Greenland’s icy mountains.

This recipe certainly deserves Cook & Tell’s AAA rating!

image: coffeebeansandcurryleaves.blogspot.com

Cold Broccoli Side Dish
Karyl Bannister, Cook & Tell

1½ pounds broccoli stalks
Salt
6 garlic cloves
Freshly ground black pepper
½-1 lemon
3 Tablespoons olive oil

Trim the woody ends of the broccoli stalks and peel away the tough outer layer.

Put the broccoli in a medium saucepan with 2½ inches boiling, salted water. Simmer over medium heat for 5 minutes, or until barely tender. Drain, plunge the broccoli into cold water to stop the cooking, and drain again. Cool to room temperature.

Arrange the broccoli on a platter. Using a garlic press, press the garlic over the broccoli, distributing it evenly. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste, then squeeze half a lemon over the broccoli. Use the other half if you really like lemon. Drizzle with olive oil. Chill until serving time. Serve cold.

Serves 4-6.

Karyl Bannister writes and illustrates the newsletter Cook & Tell, published ten times a year.