I’ve never been a big fan of broccoli. I’ve discovered that it’s one of those vegetables that is best eaten when it’s as fresh as possible. Once it sits around for a few days it starts to smell like a stinky pair of Converse sneakers…that’s not a good odor for a vegetable. I’ve also discovered that this transformation occurs despite refrigeration, thorough storage solutions, and elegant cooking techniques. Yes, I know those odors can be masked with either bacon, garlic, or cheese, but I just don’t really care for cooked broccoli. Then there’s the texture. A large, raw floret of broccoli in my mouth feels like dirt. That’s not very appetizing either is it?

But yesterday I was playing with food in my head. I had three heads of broccoli that I needed to use and all I really wanted was more cole slaw. Cole slaw is made with cabbage, which is a cruciferous vegetable and broccoli is a cruciferous vegetable too, so I decided to make broccoli slaw.

Using my mandoline I shredded the broccoli into tiny florets and thin strips of stalk. I also had a kohlrabi so I peeled that and shredded it too. I ran 1/2 a red onion through the mandoline and tossed it all together. I toasted 1/2 cup of pine nuts and let them cool. In the food processor I combined 1/4 of a white onion, 1/3 cup of apple cider vinegar, 1/3 cup of canola oil, 3 cloves of garlic, and salt and pepper (and maybe some honey if your vinegar isn’t as sweet as mine). I let that rip until it was all pulverized and nice and smooth and then I tossed the broccoli with it, added the pine nuts and let it sit in the refrigerator for 3 hours until dinner time.

It was another incredible batch of slaw. I loved it! The garlic and onion gave it a heady, almost spicy flavor, the sweetness of the dressing played with the pine nuts and the broccoli. I think I’m the queen of slaw. I’m hoping for some broccoli in today’s CSA box so I can make some more. I’m now a broccoli lover. I couldn’t stop eating it and I actually hated having to share it with Dave.