Broccoli, Golden Rosemary & Garlic Potatoes, Feta & Pine Nut Salad

by Portia Woods

Portia Woods, Toast the Coast NI

Portia Woods, Toast the Coast NI

 

Portia Woods, from Toast the Coast NI, celebrates broccoli as her favourite hero ingredient, and shares her versatile broccoli salad recipe, perfect for barbeque season.

Broccoli, My Hero Ingredient

Broccoli will come to harvest in 55 to 85 days when grown from transplants and 70 to 100 days when grown from seed so with all that wait, you will want to respect and taste its offer.

It is surely a staple veg in the home, ensuring we eat our greens toward optimum health but for the cook it is so versatile with a satisfying fresh flavour.

Boil to al dente, sauté, pulse, roast or raw it can be the main focal point of a dish or the faithful accompaniment. It holds its own on the plate or it goes with many other vegetables, inviting them to be a part of the served-up dish.

In our home it appears regularly with grilled salmon, chicken & stuffing with garlic potatoes, in the medley for stir-fry or if any has been left over it make it into the end of week fridge forage minestrone.  

It doesn’t need to be just the veg on the side, it can also the be the ‘hero’ focal ingredient and this is shared in our family recipe of Broccoli, Sautéed Potatoes, Feta & Pine Nut Salad.

 
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Broccoli, Golden Rosemary & Garlic Potatoes, Feta & Pine Nut Salad

Recipe by Portia Woods

This is a versatile recipe that can be made ahead for a planned meal, BBQ salad, on its own or kept in the fridge for 3 days’ worth as an accompaniment or lunchtime salads (my daughter takes this to school for her lunch minus the pine nuts). 

 

Ingredients

  • 500g (approx) bag local baby potatoes

  • 140g-300g of local broccoli or purple sprouting broccoli (or both)

  • 100g feta cheese (use an alternative favourite if you wish)

  • 3 tablespoons of Broighter Gold Rosemary & Garlic infused Limavady Rapeseed Oil

  • 1 handful of pine nuts (leave out if making for school lunches)

  • For an extra showcase, when available I add in a tablespoon of organic bee pollen for a sweet crunch and extra colour.

Method

  1. Boil the broccoli in a saucepan for a few moments until at an al dente state (still firm but has softened slightly). Boiling the broccoli standing up vertical and covering with water to about one third of the way lets the delicate seed flowers be steamed rather than be water-logged during boiling.  Drain and leave aside to cool (you can also do this the day before and store overnight).  

  2. Boil the baby potatoes in a large saucepan, covered in water until you can pierce the potatoes with a butter knife with ease.  Drain and leave aside to cool (you can also do this the day before and store overnight).  

  3. In a pan toast the pine nuts naked (no oil) for a few minutes until start to go golden in colour, keeping watch as they burn very quickly.  Toasting releases the natural oils and enhances the flavours (you can also do this the day before and store overnight).  

  4. Slice the baby potatoes in half. Heat a griddle frying pan or frying pan to medium heat with the oil.  Place the potatoes cut side/flat side down and begin to fry.  Turn and check and once golden place on a plate with kitchen roll to remove excess oil and allow to cool. 

  5. Place the cooled potatoes in your final serving bowl.  Add the pine nuts and crumble in the cheese.  Slice the broccoli into bitesize or crumbled pieces.

  6. Season with salt & pepper to taste, mix and enjoy.