Broccoli Rising and Salad Days
In Shakespeare’s Antony and Cleopatra, Cleopatra recalls “My salad days/When I was green in judgment,” when she was young, exuberant. . . and capable of a few bad decisions. Honey, who isn’t?
All of humankind is in its salad days and green in judgment as far as the Earth is concerned. For half a century, institutions and individuals have pretended climate change isn’t real. Or made it someone else’s problem. Our inaction’s resulted in us doubling our carbon output, driving up global temperature by at least 2℉, and here we are, entering what may well be the Earth’s hottest summer ever.
Youth and exuberance are delightful. But bad decisions get old really fast. SPOILER ALERT —Antony and Cleopatra’s a tragedy. This is to say things do not end well. We may be young and cute compared to the Earth, but our collective history and experience must add up to some kind of wisdom. They just have to. Think how much we’ve changed and grown even since the pandemic. Together, we still have the power to make things better. We are Generation Restoration.
Elect Vote for candidates committed to enacting and enforcing climate change policies that protect the Earth ANOTHER SPOILER ALERT — It’s not Trump. It’s the other guy, President Biden.
Educate yourself Learn more ways to you can be an active, engaged part of Generation Restoration.
Eat wisely Your food choices impact the Earth’s wellbeing. See how. Wanna do better? Beans and organic or sustainably grown produce support your body and the Earth at the same time. They have no chemical inputs, are low water and carbon, and encourage biodiversity even as they nourish nutrient-depleted soil. They feed both you and the Earth a healthy meal, restoring energy and balance. You can never go wrong with plants, never go wrong with salad.
Three easy salads for summer:
This beany and cool-as-a-cucumber salad comes from our friends at Rancho Gordo.
Moroccan carrot salad — simple to make but a total summer stunner.
Panzanella — summer produce and stale bread meet cute in this warm weather winner
Two secrets for salad success:
Salad comes from the Latin word meaning salted. Finish salad with light sprinkle of sea salt, or for more salty pleasure, add a handful of crunchy toasted nuts or seeds, glossy olives, or briny capers.
Temperature — not every salad needs to be icebox cold. The panzanella and other salads have flavors that bloom when they’re served a few degrees warmer.
And for Broccoli Confidential subscribers, an exclusive! I’m excited to share a bonus recipe from The Juneteenth Cookbook. Scroll down at the bottom and grab a taste of summer from Chef Taffy Elrod. Not a paid subscriber? Click to upgrade now.
The Joys of June
After a weirdly, blisteringly hot May (hello, climate change), signs of a regular tropical Miami summer are emerging —
afternoon rains to take the edge off the heat
royal poincianas in full flamboyant bloom
strolling iguanas
heady jasmine — wow, I wish I could scent Broccoli Rising with it
sweet, juicy lychees
mangoes! — less big and bountiful than last year’s bumper crop, but plenty sweet and sexy
a Florida flamingo resurgence. Welcome back, dear rosy friends. Make yourselves at home.
Break out the banners, June is Pride Month! There’ve been some mutterings that Pride Month festivities will be muffled this year, thanks to the tsunami of anti-LGBTQ rhetoric and legislation. I say show your true colors. Pride is about love, not about hate.
June 4 Award winning cookbook author and food journalist Michael Ruhlman serves up plenty of teen angst with his new YA novel, If You Can’t Take the Heat.
June 5 World Environment Day
also — happy birthday to my husband
June 8 World Ocean Day
Here’s a shot of the Atlantic — isn’t she a beauty? Let’s keep it that way.
June 10 Broccoli Rising chats with Chef Taffy Elrod. Taffy created the recipes in the new and timely The Juneteenth Cookbook: Recipes and Activities for Kids and Families to Celebrate. We talk about creating and preserving delicious family traditions and recipes. Recipe demo too! Look for the link in next week’s Broccoli Rising. And Broccoli Confidential subscribers, scroll down to the bottom and grab a taste of summer from The Juneteenth Cookbook.
also James Beard Award winners announced TODAY. Congratulations to all winners and nominees.
June 17 Eat Your Vegetables Day I did not make this one up. But I’m totally on board.
June 18 Father’s Day. Here’s to all the dads out there. You lift us up.
June 19 Juneteenth - African American Emancipation Day. Make it joyful and delicious for every generation with The Juneteenth Cookbook: Recipes and Activities for Kids and Families to Celebrate, a delicious collaboration between Alliah Agostini and Chef Taffy Elrod.
June 21-23 Cookbook Fest! Meet a world of flavor, a world of talent with presenters including Andrea Nguyen, Bryant Terry, Preeti Mistri, Kushbu Shah and Illyanna Maisonet.
June 21 Summer solstice, once known as the pagan holiday of Litha. This is your day to let your inner radiance shine forth.
Actually, your radiance shines even when you don’t realize it. Thank you for being my bright light.
I’m honored to welcome a fresh batch of Broccoli Rising subscribers, and whether you’re new or seasoned, I’m grateful for every one of you. Your support means everything to me. I mean, I get verklempt just thinking about it. Big slobbering thank you to my growing gang of paid subscribers. Special events, interviews and interactive fun are in your future.
You can get access to full recipes on a regular basis with a paid subscription. Not a paid subscriber yet? No problem! Join now to enjoy exclusive content like the recipe below and much more.
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