Nothing Rhymes with Orange
We recently attended an event that provided the inspiration for my most recent Berkshire Eagle column. It wasn’t quite like being on the TV show Chopped, where the chef contestants get a mystery basket of ingredients, but still I had to come up with a sauce using items I could find in the kitchen where the event was being held. Obviously it turned out delicious, since it became a recipe worth sharing!
WHEN LIFE DOESN’T GIVE YOU LEMONS, TRY ORANGES
by Elizabeth Baer
A couple weeks ago we attended Shabbat services and dinner with Williams College students as a way to celebrate the relationship between the Jewish Federation of the Berkshires and the Williams College Jewish Association. Besides the fact that it’s a great opportunity to connect with the wider Berkshire community, my husband, Hank, is on the board at Federation and is an alumnus of Williams College, so there was no question that we would be there.
An optional part of the program had volunteers from Federation arrive early to help prepare dinner, so we decided to drive to Williamstown in time to participate. But when we got there, the first thing we heard was that dinner prep was mostly done and people were setting the tables and enjoying each other’s company.
Hank headed for the kitchen anyway to see what was happening, and next thing I know I hear him saying, “I know who can help you,” then calling, “Liz! They need a sauce for the broccoli!” In the kitchen I found a group of students still working on dinner, but, indeed, things were well underway, and the space would have been too tight for all the volunteers.
They had just taken tray upon tray of roasted broccoli out of the oven and wanted to serve a sauce alongside. “How about a lemon vinaigrette?” I offered. “Great!” replied Sophie, the kitchen manager. “You can find what you need in the walk-in. Use whatever you want.”
One problem: there was not a single lemon to be found. Instead, I grabbed some oranges and a grapefruit and asked if they had a fine-tooth grater. Over a large bowl I zested and juiced four oranges and a grapefruit, and from there built a vinaigrette. One student retrieved a jar of Dijon mustard, and looking through the shelf of herbs and spices I found za’atar, a very popular herb and spice mix in Israel and the Middle East. I usually add some sweetener to my dressings to help it emulsify, but I couldn’t find honey or maple syrup, so I tossed in a bit of brown sugar. I decided to use some finely minced red pepper for color, nice but not necessary.
Later, as we all enjoyed dinner together, I knew this recipe belonged in my next column. I had to make it again at home, scaled down (there were at least fifty people at dinner), and with the ingredients measured. I also eliminated the grapefruit as I didn’t want to have readers buy a whole grapefruit and only use a quarter of it!
While the recipe below is for roasted broccoli, this sauce would be great over any number of other vegetables, cooked or not. And for the photo, I added some shredded purple radicchio and golden minced mango, Williams’ purple and gold, in homage to the origin site of the recipe!
(ROASTED BROCCOLI WITH) CITRUS VINAIGRETTE
Serves 2-3
INGREDIENTS:
1 pound broccoli crowns cut into florets (other vegetables would also work, roasted or even steamed)
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil, divided
¾ teaspoon kosher salt, divided
1 orange
1 small clove garlic
1 teaspoon za’atar
½ teaspoon honey (or maple syrup or brown sugar)
¼ teaspoon Dijon mustard
Few grinds black pepper
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 400°F. Arrange the broccoli florets in a baking dish or on a sheet pan in one layer as much as possible. The pieces will shrink with the heat, so it’s fine if they are not completely in one layer. Drizzle 2 tablespoons of olive oil over the broccoli and sprinkle with ½ teaspoon kosher salt. Roast for 25-30 minutes until starting to brown on the edges. (If you have something else in the oven at a different temperature, it will still work but may take a longer or shorter amount of time.)
While the broccoli is roasting, make the dressing. Use a fine-toothed grater to zest the orange skin directly into a medium bowl. Try to grate only the orange layer and not the white layer underneath. Take the garlic clove and grate a tiny amount into the bowl. Discard the rest of the garlic clove. Cut the orange in half and squeeze all the juice into the bowl. If the orange has seeds, do this over a strainer.
Add the remaining ¼ teaspoon salt, za’atar, honey, mustard, and pepper. Whisk together until combined. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and whisk again. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary.
When the broccoli is done, place in a bowl and pour the dressing over all. Toss and serve hot or at room temperature.