Let’s Veg Out and Smash Some Potatoes

Roasted Broccoli, Cauliflower Rice Biryani and Crispy Smashed Potatoes

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Hello friends! It’s summer for exactly three more days, so it’s time to think ahead. Be sure to visit your local farm stands in the next few weeks, because they’re bursting with sigh-worthy produce. Come December you won’t see the likes of them. We all need more veg, right?

Friends, have I got some vegetables for you today…. Broccoli is no longer boring! Cauliflower turns into rice with all the fixings and it’s spicy! Steamed potatoes get so crispy in the oven, you can’t resist them!

First up, Charred Broccoli with Miso Sauce. It’s not the prettiest vegetable on offer, but boy oh boy. It turns so sweet in the oven. It’s a whole new broccoli experience. Did you ever think you could not stop eating broccoli? Think again. Pair it with miso sauce for a salty, sweet combo (my fave). Or skip the sauce if you’re feeling lazy. Just make it. Broccoli stems are incredibly delicious. Peel them with a vegetable peeler or a paring knife. If you can only find crowns, just slice across them to make flat pieces. It only takes a couple of minutes to blanche the broccoli before it goes into the oven, but that step ensures it will become tender and crispy. Make more than you think you need.

Broccoli may be the ugly duckling, but Cauliflower Rice Biryani takes the beauty prize. It’s practically psychedelic. Lentils, carrots, pistachios, cranberries, fresh mint, parsley, and warm spices are pulled together with some tangy lemon. This one’s for lunch every day of the week. Or serve it with a roast chicken for supper. You can cheat and save time with pre-chopped cauliflower from the market, or you can chop it finely in a food processor. I find little bits of cauliflower are prone to wandering. I hate when that happens! That’s why I prefer spreading them on a baking sheet lined with parchment for ‘oven steaming’. Cut a piece of parchment slightly larger than your baking sheet. Spread the cauliflower rice in one layer and bake it. After 7 minutes, take it out of the oven and use the edges of the parchment to redistribute the crumbles. Bake it again. It steams and cooks as it bakes and saves you from the mess of those little cauli-crumbs landing all over the place.

Finally (for now) I’ve got potatoes for you. Potatoes are my love language (right after ice cream, but preferably not at the same time.) Crispy, crunchy, salty but soft and creamy in the middle. I wish I had some Smashed Potatoes right now. I’ll take them over French fries—they’re no mess, and not too much fuss. I find that the best way to cook small potatoes is in a steamer because they cook evenly, and might I say, perfectly. You can also boil them. It took me a long time for the steamer basket to win me over. I’m a big fan now, especially when it comes to cooking potatoes for potato salad, or served plain with butter and parsley. It’s a two-step process. Steam or boil the potatoes and cool them briefly. Then smash them with the heel of your hand or a plate. Spread them on a hot, oiled sheet pan and bake until crisp. Try not to squeal.

Charred Broccoli with Miso Dressing
Serves 6 Prep time: 15 minutes | Cook time: 8 to 10 minutes