Even though it’s summertime and my backyard garden is in full swing, The Girl and I are still happily picking up free boxes of discarded produce every week. To be honest, I’m a little surprised we are still doing it. But as each week passes, I can see the value in doing this year round, especially when it comes to getting free greens for our pet chickens. Plus, it’s still fun to look inside the boxes to see what was deemed inedible.
This week our challenge is trying to figure out what we are suppose to do with all this broccoli. Figuring out what to do with the mushrooms was easy. I made the Handsome Husband an omelet, and then dehydrated the rest. All the other goodies were in manageable proportions this time around, so figuring out what to do with them was a piece of cake.
- 4+ pounds broccoli
- 27 million mushrooms
- 3 + pounds of grapes
- 2 tomatoes
- 1 zucchini
- 1 carrot
- 1 pear
- 1 black plum
- 5 ears of corn
- 1/2 of a cantaloupe melon
- 3 + pounds of strawberries
But the broccoli, what am I suppose to do with all the broccoli? Ideally, I’d like to be able to find some sort of canning recipe so we can in enjoy it later this winter. I’d freeze the free broccoli, but I don’t want to take up any prime real estate in the frozen foods section at Casa De La Mavis.
So now what? Do YOU have any ideas? Help!
Would you like to see what else we have brought home over the past few months?
Head on over HERE to read all the past stories and to see all the pictures.
Jessica says
Thinking of winter, I make a broccoli potato soup, all puréed. Maybe you could make a soup mix or boil and purée the broccoli ! But then maybe you woul have to use the freezer after all.
Mavis says
Broccoli potato soup sounds yummy!
Elisabeth S. says
Yeah Broccoli, Potato, Cheddar soup…roasted broccoli, chicken alfredo with broccoli, steamed broccoli on baked potatoes with cheese…
Heather S. says
I still can’t get over that they throw away that much food every day! I have no help for the broccoli – sorry. We’ve never had so much that I had to be creative. We just steam it and eat it 🙂 I have had a salad before that a friend made with broccoli and peas. It was really good. I know that doesn’t really help you, but maybe someone else will have a recipe like that. Enjoy!!!
Melannie says
Well as you are a wiz on the dehydrator, I would be dehydrating a bunch.
It can be use to make your own soups, stews, quiche, souffle and pasta dishes. I rehydrate drain and set aside the actual broccoli to add minutes before serving, but add the re hydration water for flavour during the cooking. and as a season to make your own
Be careful with it though, when dry it is quite brittle.
Personally we LOVE broccoli so it is always an item I sacrifice freezer space for. To use in stir fry’s and as a side dish.
Michelle says
When in doubt, searc the internet…lol!
http://www.ehow.com/how_7347960_can-broccoli-soup.html
This might help! I’ve never done it before but it sounds pretty straight forward. 🙂
Mavis says
Cool beans Figgy. Thanks!
Tanya says
I second the dehydrating the extra broccoli. My sis-in-law does this and uses it for all kinds of things!
Kory says
Do you have a pressure canner? Could you can broccoli soup? Yum…
lili says
My favorite things to do with broccoli is making broccoli potato cheddar soup and i also make smoothies with it. Just mix broccoli, spinach with sweet fruits in your smoothie maker. It tastes great.
Kara says
I love Broccoli Salad made with bacon, raw broccoli, grapes, shredded cheddar cheese, and topped with salad dressing made with white wine vinegar, mayo, sugar, and red onion. I found the recipe on food.com and when I make it, it’s so good that I eat it every meal until it’s gone — even breakfast! YUM. 🙂
Nicole says
I’d use the broccoli in Chicken Divan or an asst. of veg. in stir fry or fettucine alfredo.
Stefanie says
Sauteed broccoli is awesome! Put couple tbls olive oil and a couple tbls butter (or half a stick!) in a pan, add chopped garlic to your liking. Saute the broccoli about 5 min, add salt/pepper to taste, continue cooking until it reaches your desired tenderness. Before serving add in a couple tbls italian flavored breadcrumbs and grated parmesan cheese. It’s delicious! We make it with broccoli and with green beans- both are equally as good!
Kari says
Toss with olive oil, italian seasoning, and salt and pepper, roast in 400 oven about 20 min, stiring once. Even better roasted with red peppers, too!
Danielle says
I like to roast my broccoli. My favorite recipe is parmesan-roasted broccoli from Barefoot Contessa . It has parmesan cheese, lemon, basil, and pine nuts(which I usually leave out). Soooo good! Here is the link….
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/parmesan-roasted-broccoli-recipe/index.html
Amanda says
This is one of my favorite recipes (my husband’s too)! If you follow the recipe exactly as they give it, I can see how it would only be rated 3 stars. I made it that way the first time too, and it was a bit dry and flavorless. Now, I drain ALL the water, combine everything, and add some alfredo sauce. It is WONDERFUL that way! (I also don’t add the onions because I don’t like them.) Definitely 5 stars!
http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/browse-all-recipes/pasta-with-chicken-sausage-and-broccoli-recipe-00000000020854/index.html
beckybeq says
Three words. Broccoli Cheese Soup. YUM!
Madam Chow says
This recipe is fantastic and easy – you can freeze the soup if you want to:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/claire-robinson/creamy-broccoli-soup-recipe/index.html
Jeanne says
A friend gave me her recipe for this salad. It is delicious – great as a side dish when grilling out, for pot lucks – just about anything!
Wild Rice, Broccoli & Cranberry Salad
1 (6-ounce) pkg long grain & wild rice mix (I use Uncle Ben’s)
1 cup sweetened dried cranberries (I used Ocean Spray Craisins-1 pkg)
1 cup fresh broccoli flowerets, chopped
4 green onions, chopped
3 celery ribs, thinly sliced
1 (2-ounce) jar diced pimento, drained
1/2 cup sweet and sour dressing (1/2 cup orange juice & 2 tablespoons white vinegar)
1 cup dry roasted peanuts
• Prepare rice according to package directions; cool.
• Combine rice, cranberries, and next 4 ingredients; add dressing, and stir gently. Cover and chill at least 2 hours. Stir in peanuts just
before serving.
Annett says
Broccoli Cassarole?
I am on Atkins (9 days now) and made a Broccoli Cassarole last night. No reccipe – just threw in this and that:
So in a baking dish…
1 lb Broccoli
1lb browned lean beef
8 ounces sliced mushrooms
some chopped onions
finely chopped garlic
added 1/2 cup of light alfredo sauce (doesn’t sound like much but it was plenty once stired up..didn’t want it swimming in sauce)
and topped with 1/4 shredded cheese for the gooey effect when it comes out of the oven.
Baked at 350 until the Broccoli was tender. With the cheese…it may not be the healthiest dish on the planet but it sure was yummy and there were NO leftovers! 🙂
I wish I could get the Free produce here….the stores won’t let us have the discarded produce….. keep it up… I LOVE reading your blog!!!
Mavis says
Thanks Annett! 🙂
Annett says
PS – Just noticed I can’t spell casserole in my other post LOL Sorry!!!
Tracy says
Look up a recipe for the broc salad you get at sweet tomatoes (soup plantation in some parts of the country). I could eat 4 pounds myself. It’s basically broc with a coleslaw dressing, sweet and tangy like KFC’s then you add some raisins, and nuts. They also add bacon. It’s super yummy and lasts for a few days in fridge.
Laura says
We do a lot of copycat Panera Broccoli Cheese soup here. I also like the broccoli salad with bacon, sunflower seeds and raisins. It’s delish. We also love steamed broccoli with a little butter and soy sauce on it. It’s the only way my kids would eat it when they were little.
Mavis says
I will look this up! Thanks Laura!
Elizabeth F says
My daughter would eat steamed broccoli 7 days a week.
I would love all those mushrooms. Can’t buy canned mushrooms
in store any more as all from China or India now.
One of my neighbors (down the road a piece) stops at our grocer
and hauls out a barrel full of trimmings etc for the stable she works
at. They have been doing that for years.
My problem with picking up so much food every week is that
you are showing so much. What happens when your
freezer and pantry is full of preserved food? When will you eat
that while still bringing in hauls of fresh food each week?