Recipe: Broccoli Deliciousness

What could be more all-American than a guy having a standard potluck dish? Not much. It's like, "Oh, Tim will bring his famous spicy chicken wings!"

Well I've recently decided that I will bring the same thing to almost every potluck. Luckily these potlucks have not had significantly overlapping groups of people -- I haven't been busted.


Broccoli Deliciousness

This is adapted from "Garlicky Sesame-Cured Broccoli Salad" from the NYTimes last year. I've changed the quantities and text slightly to make it more awesome.

2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
1.5 teaspoon kosher salt
3 large or 4 small broccoli crowns, 2-2.5 pounds total, cut into bite-size florets
2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
4 fat garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons cumin seeds
2 teaspoons roasted (Asian) sesame oil
Large pinch crushed red pepper flakes.

1. In a large bowl, stir together the vinegar and salt. Add broccoli and toss to combine.

2. In a small pot, heat olive oil until moderately hot, but not smoking. Add cumin and then garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute, then turn off the heat (if the garlic is sizzling wildly, turn off the heat in less than a minute, so you don't burn it) Stir in sesame oil and pepper flakes. Pour mixture over broccoli and toss well. Refrigerate. Tastes great after a few hours and for a few days.

Yield: a lot