ITEMS
Dill
Lettuce Mix
Broccoli
Cucumber
Eggs
Breakfast Sausage / Mushrooms
PRODUCERS
Towne's Harvest - MSU, Bozeman
Amaltheia Organic Produce - Belgrade
Harlequin Produce - Arlee
Gallatin Valley Botanical - Bozeman
Mission Mountain Organic Eggs - Mission Valley
Bugoni's Gourmet Sausages - Missoula / SporeAttic - Bozeman
Quick Dill Pickles
Homemade pickles don't have to be complicated or time-consuming. Quick pickling (quickling?) makes it easy to experiment with different flavors, and can help preserve excess produce for a few weeks. This particular recipe is for dill cucumber chips, but you could use beets, carrots, radishes, fennel bulbs, green beans, chard stalks, broccoli stems, rhubarb, onion, etc. Feel free to adjust the seasonings, herbs, and spices to your tastes as well. Adapated from Cook's Illustrated. Makes ~1 pint, or scale as needed.
1 lb cucumbers and/or other hard vegetables
1 1/2 C vinegar (I typically use plain white vinegar, but you could experiment with others)
1 1/2 C water
3 Tbs granulated sugar
2 1/2 Tbs kosher salt
2-3 sprigs of fresh dill
Additional seasonings - I like a clove or two of fresh garlic, a few whole peppercorns, and maybe a pinch or two of mustard seeds. Feel free to experiment with other seasonings you like.
You'll need a clean pint jar with a lid (or another heatproof container), and a ladle and funnel if you have them. Bring the water, vinegar, sugar, and salt to a boil over medium-high heat to make the pickle brine. Add the garlic, peppercorns, and any other spices you may be using and remove from heat to steep for ~10 minutes.
Meanwhile, rinse and slice the cucumber(s) into even-sized coins, whatever thickness you like. Fill the clean pint jar(s) with hot tap water to heat the glass for 1-2 minutes, then empty and shake dry. Fill the jar with the dill sprigs and cucumber slices, packing them in tightly. Don't fill above the rim of the jar - use more than 1 jar if you need to. With the funnel and ladle, if using, our the hot brine over top of the cucumbers and distribute any spices or aromatics evenly between jars if using more than 1. Let jars cool completely on the counter, then secure the lid and refrigerate until eveything is evenly flavorful. Thinly sliced veggies may be ready as soon as they're cool, while thicker veggies will need some more time in the fridge. Keep refrigerated.
Italian Broccoli Slaw
Adapted from Ali Slagle, NYTimes cooking. Serves 4-6.
1 small shallot, thinly sliced (~1/4 C) - sub any color onion or scallions
1 1/2 lbs fresh broccoli
Cucumber (optional) *Add this if you don't quite have 1 1/2 lbs of broccoli, to fill out the slaw
Kosher salt and black pepper
1/2 C roasted, salted almonds, coarsely chopped - sub walnuts, pine nuts, etc
1/4 C pickled peppers, such as peperoncini, drained and sliced
1/4 C pitted olives, such as kalamata or Castelvetrano, chopped or torn
1/3 C extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed
1/3 C red wine vinegar, plus more as needed
3 oz fresh provolone or mozzarella, torn or sliced into bite-size pieces - or sub any cheese you like
1-2 Tbs fresh dill, chopped
Optional additions: Italian cured meats, cooked chickpeas or lentils, fresh basil, tomatoes, lettuce, etc.
Rinse the sliced shallot/onion under cold water to mellow it out, drain well and transfer to a large bowl. Cut the stalks from the broccoli heads. Peel the fibrous outer layer of the stalks down to the light green insides; discard the outer layer. Thinly slice the stalks crosswise, then thinly slice the heads into bite-size pieces. (A mix of shapes and sizes adds texture to the salad, so chop up the broccoli a few ways; there’s no one right way to go about it.) Transfer to the large bowl as you go, then transfer any loose bits from the cutting board to the bowl. Slice the cucumber, if using, and add it to the bowl *see note below*
Season the broccoli generously with salt and pepper, then add the almonds, pickled peppers, olives, oil, vinegar, and provolone. Toss vigorously with a spoon until everything is combined and the broccoli is shiny with oil. Taste and adjust seasonings with salt, pepper, oil, and vinegar as needed. Let sit at least 10 minutes before serving.
The salad improves with age as its flavors meld, and it can be refrigerated for up to 4 days (*Note: if making ahead, wait to add the cucumber until shortly before serving. Probably the cheese and any meats as well). Before serving, bring to room temperature and adjust to taste again, if needed. Serve as is, or toss with some leafy salad greens right before serving.
Even More Recipes To Try
Cowboy Casserole (sausage & egg strata) - try it with broccoli!
French Potato Salad - this no-mayo potato salad uses tons of summer herbs, including dill. When new potatoes start cropping up, it's even better.
Broccoli Pesto for pasta, dip, etc