Broccoli Rising and Let’s Get Real (or Not)

“The message is simple: eat real food.” So say the folks at the United States Department of Agriculture. I wish it were that simple. I don’t care what your tax bracket is; food costs are way up. Fresh vegetables alone cost 11% more than they did last year. My husband now braces himself to go food shopping with me because I’m likely to go on a tirade about how broccoli was a dollar less last week or burst into tears. We’re fortunate — we can afford to put an occasional bunch of broccoli in our basket. Not everyone can.

SNAP (Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program) eligibility requirements got tougher under Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill, and it wasn’t so beautiful for the 42 million eligible American families to have federally funded benefits slashed, withheld, delayed, and cut in half.

I’m all for fresh fruits and vegetables. You probably are too, and so are most moms on assistance. The problem is affording them. The House Appropriations Committee has proposed cutting $141 million in WIC (Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children) fresh produce benefits for recipients. Mothers are resourceful. They have to be. Without fresh produce benefits, WIC moms have reached for the next best thing — jam and jelly. Not ideal, but fruity, comforting, shelf-stable, affordable and when paired with peanut butter, beloved by both kids and moms. Until now. USDA director Brooke Rollins says jelly no longer counts under WIC credits. Slashing resources for fresh produce while targeting jelly makes no real sense.

Eat real food? I wish everyone could. I wish the message really was that simple. But the real message seems to be something else.

This recipe for PBJ squares had been a Broccoli Rising paid subscriber exclusive. I’m glad to share it here for free, with peanut butter and jelly for all.

PBJ Squares

My mother was a huge Ina Garten fan. My father was a big fan of dessert. They’d both approve of these peanut butter and jam squares. I hope you do too. Recipe slightly tweaked and easily veganized from Ina Garten’s classic recipe.

• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) vegan butter

• 2/3 cup cane sugar

• 1 teaspoon vanilla

• 3 tablespoons aquafaba

• 3/4 cup natural peanut butter, preferably without sugar

• 1-1/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

• 1/2 cup jam or preserves — use your favorite

Preheat oven to 350℉. Lightly lube an 8 X 8-inch Pyrex baking dish with vegan butter.

Line baking pan with parchment, butter the parchment, then dust with flour, knocking out any excess.

In a standing mixer, cream together vegan butter and cane sugar at medium speed for a minute or so until pale and creamy. Mix in the vanilla, aquafaba and peanut butter.

In a small bowl, sift together the unbleached flour and baking powder. Turn mixer on to low and add the flour to the peanut butter mixture just until combined.

Spread 2/3 of the dough so it cover the bottom of the baking dish. Smooth evenly.

Spoon the jam on top and spread to cover the dough. Drop the remaining dough by spoonfuls on top of the jam. It may not cover completely now but have faith. It will spread during baking.

Bake the PBJ squares for 30 minutes or until the top is tawny and kitchen smells nutty, toasty and terrific. Allow to cool completely then cut into 16 squares.

PBJ squares keep refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

June Happenings

June 8 World Ocean Day. Celebrate our seas. Not all seafood means fish — it can be seaweed, which brings fishy but fish-free flavor to my poke bowl with watermelon ahi.

June 17 Every day is a good day to eat vegetables, but especially today — it’s Eat Your Vegetables Day, and have I got some green goodness for you. Don’t go for greens? Try carrots.

June 19 Juneteenth aka African-American Emancipation Day. Mark the day with my Juneteenth Bowl showcasing edible gifts from Africa including yams, black-eyed peas, collards, peanuts and sorghum. All the ingredients are nutrient-dense and covered under SNAP benefits. Sorghum is all that plus it’s gluten-free and a sustainability superstar.

June 21 Two reasons to celebrate — It’s Father’s Day and summer solstice — so there’s all the more reason to grill. Add some thrill to your grill with my mango barbecue sauce recipe from Miami Vegan.

You don’t have a copy of Miami Vegan? What are you waiting for?