Basque in the Glow

I’ve been eating a lot of roasted broccoli lately. The flavor and texture remind me a little of potatoes, and got me thinking about my erstwhile favorite roasted potato recipe, Basque Potatoes, from Farmhouse Cookbook by Susan Hermann Loomis.

What I liked best about the recipe is how the parsley crisps up in the oven, so I usually quadrupled the amount that the recipe called for. Recently, I used the same ingredients to season my roasted broccoli, and the results were very satisfying, especially the crispy parsley.

Even though it is warming up outside, we’ll still have plenty of “Oven Weather” in the next few months, so give it a try before Summer sneaks up on us.

Basque Roasted Broccoli

Adapted from Farmhouse Cookbook by Susan Hermann Loomis

Serves 1-2

1 lb. fresh broccoli, florets and stems

1 bunch parsley, coarsely chopped

3-4 Tbsp. olive oil

1 clove garlic, pressed or very finely minced

¼ tsp. dried thyme

¼ tsp. dried rosemary

1 tsp. sweet (regular) paprika

1/16 tsp. cayenne

1/8 tsp. fine salt

¼ tsp. ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Cut broccoli florets into smallish pieces. Cut stems into ½-inch pieces, peeling first if they are woody.

In a good-sized mixing bowl, combine olive oil, garlic, thyme, rosemary, paprika, cayenne, salt and pepper. Add broccoli and parsley and toss until coated.

Spread out the coated broccoli and parsley evenly onto a baking sheet. Use a spatula to scrape out any olive oil that is clinging to the mixing bowl and drizzle it over the broccoli.

Place baking sheet into preheated oven and roast for 25 minutes. Turn off the heat, but leave the baking sheet in the oven for an additional 10 minutes. Remove from oven and serve immediately.