Would you like this? Have you made this? (Pureed broccoli w/ Creme Fraiche)

[ljt2r]

It's from the original Silver Palate cookbook. it is not light, this would be for Thanksgiving.

Pureed Broccoli w/ Creme Fraiche

cooked chopped broccoli (about 5 lbs)
1 cup creme fraiche
4 T sour cream
2/3 cup parm
1/2 t nutmeg
1/2 t black pepper freshly ground
salt
2 T butter

puree broccoli in food processor w/ creme fraiche. stir in cour cream, parm and spices and salt to taste. mix well. place in baking dish, dot with butter, bake for 25 mins at 350 F.

Any thoughts?

[avariell]

I don't know if I should reply since I will be eating Thanksgiving at your house... but it just looks kind of weird to me. Like a cream of broccoli soup turned into a casserole? And it also looks like something I'd want to eat with a pound of salt on top... like creamed spinach.

But I would be happy to try it

[Beth]

I haven't made it and would tell myself I probably wouldn't like it. That is so rich that I that I wouldn't want to discover that I liked it anyway. Generally speaking, I might add a little butter or cheese to a veggie, but that one is over the top for me.

[ljt2r]

I have such trouble w/ veggies at the holidays! I am not a fan of anything that is in season. I want garden fresh green beans or spring roasted asparagus. I don't like brussel sprouts, spinach, kale....

Well in answer to your answers... Beth, yes it is absurdly rich, clearly only a holiday meal type deal. But, and this kind of address josie's comment too, I was hoping the tang from the creme fraiche and sour cream would be truly tangy, unique, so that it would NOT taste so much of plain cream. Think I am wrong?

[Beth]

No -- and that's with 5 lbs of broccoli too.

[charley]

I've made something similar with creme fraiche and ricotta, but it wasn't baked. I remember how fast it cooled down after adding the cream and cheese. Baking sounds like a better idea.

[2HUNGRY!]

I'm wondering what the color would be. I think it would probably taste good, but might look weird. And that is would be expensive to make it and then find out it looks weird and no one wanted to eat it.

Does that make me sound like I'm 6?

[charley]

Originally Posted by 2HUNGRY!

I'm wondering what the color would be. I think it would probably taste good, but might look weird. And that is would be expensive to make it and then find out it looks weird and no one wanted to eat it.

Does that make me sound like I'm 6?

It does look a little like baby food.

[avariell]

I wonder if it would sound more appealing to me if I just left the broccoli chopped instead of pureeing it and stirred it into the other ingredients to bake.

Actually I don't wonder - I think the main reason it sounds unappealing to me is cuz it is pureed.

[BucknellAlum]

Originally Posted by avariell

Actually I don't wonder - I think the main reason it sounds unappealing to me is cuz it is pureed.

Yes, to me the words "pureed" and "broccoli" just don't go together

It does sound rich - let us know if you try it.

Are you trying to get in a green vegetable? I have served green beans on Thanksgiving, even though they're not really in season. How about an autumn salad to have a green?

[ljt2r]

Yes I do want something green.

Hey you know what I could do--puree half and leave half chopped. What about that?

Also, I don't do mashed potatoes so I thought maybe this would take its place. I also thought I might cook the broccoli less than is called for, hoping to preserve some green (the cooking in the first stage).

The problem with a salad, as Josie pointed out too today on the phone (i.e., I know she has the same hesitation), is I am doing a soup--and I am married to the soup. I think I might have crudites out before the dinner to help with the fresh veggie component.

[hAndyman]

I'd eat it Laura.

While I long had a fear of pureed veggies (since, I suspect, I was two or less ) I got over it, or mostly over it, ever since I started making Rosso & Lukins recipe in New Basics for pureed beets with coriander (the seed, not the leaf) - I make it and freeze it every fall at my dw's insistence (well, it doesn't take any amount of persuasion). It's delicious, so the broccoli might be too. I do take issue with them on their portion sizes though - I see they claim that the broccoli recipe serves 6, but I suspect I'd double that based on the beet puree servings I get (it's kinda rich too). I just wonder if the leftover broccoli could be frozen - that'd seal the deal for me making it.

I hope you try it and love it and let us know - please, make it for your sister and make sure she eats it.

[miss piggy]

I love, love, love Giadia's Broccoli Puree...it uses a touch of potatoes...and reminds me of this recipe without being so over the top. You may want to consider that...

[Beth]

Originally Posted by avariell

Actually I don't wonder - I think the main reason it sounds unappealing to me is cuz it is pureed.

I probably wouldn't puree it either. I'd try eating it if prepared that way, but if I was making it, I'd probably chop it. I have pureed broccoli, but in a soup.

[PattiA]

I frequently make a modified version of this recipe for one of my clients. She's a huge fan of The Silver Palate. For 6 servings, I steam 6 cups of broc, then puree it with a tbl of butter and 1/2-3/4 cup of light sour cream, salt, pepper, and a few tablespoons of parmesan cheese. I skip the baking part. They love it and ask for it all the time. To me, it tastes good, but I'd rather eat steamed, sauteed, or roasted broc.

[Beth]

On second thought, maybe I should try pureeing broccoli. Neither of my sons will eat it -- it's not the flavor so much as the texture that they seem to object to.

[avariell]

Originally Posted by hAndyman

I'd eat it Laura.

While I long had a fear of pureed veggies (since, I suspect, I was two or less ) I got over it, or mostly over it, ever since I started making Rosso & Lukins recipe in New Basics for pureed beets with coriander (the seed, not the leaf) - I make it and freeze it every fall at my dw's insistence (well, it doesn't take any amount of persuasion). It's delicious, so the broccoli might be too. I do take issue with them on their portion sizes though - I see they claim that the broccoli recipe serves 6, but I suspect I'd double that based on the beet puree servings I get (it's kinda rich too). I just wonder if the leftover broccoli could be frozen - that'd seal the deal for me making it.

I hope you try it and love it and let us know - please, make it for your sister and make sure she eats it.

I have a bag of beets in my fridge waiting for a home - care to share that recipe?? (I promise to eat my pureed broccoli!)

[hAndyman]

Here's the recipe, Josie. This has a really beautiful beet red colour and delicious flavour, and looks really good on a plate with turkey and all the trimmings but goes well with lots of dishes.

The recipe is from "The New Basics Cookbook" by Rosso & Lukins.

Beet and Coriander Puree

3-3/4 to 4 lb beets
1 cup unsalted butter
1-1/2 cups diced onions
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1 Tbs sugar
2 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp salt

Trim the beets, leaving 1 inch of stem. Rinse, but do not peel.
Place beets in large saucepan, cover with cold water, and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer until the beets are very tender (~50-60 min.).
Drain beets, rinse under cold water, and remove skins. Cut into 1" pieces. Set aside.
Melt butter in large saucepan over low heat. Add onions, cover and cook 20 minutes. Then add the beets, vinegar, sugar, coriander and salt. Stir well, and simmer, uncovered, stirring frequently, for 10 minutes.
Transfer the beet mixture, in batches, to a food processor and process until perfectly smooth.
Return puree to a saucepan and stir well over low heat until heated through. (Or transfer to an ovenproof dish, cover with foil and heat at 350F until steaming hot, ~25 minutes.)
Yields 8 servings - I say 16 to 20 servings of less than 1/2 cup each.
Freezes well.

Andy's notes: I don't puree it too too much, leaving some smaller pieces for textural interest - reminds me less of baby food! But even if I don't have pieces left in it I don't puree this until it's a smooth paste - oh yuck! It still retains a bit of texture.

[dreamer101]

My only concern is the nutmeg. A touch of nutmeg is great but too much can make it go terribly wrong. I'm surprised the recipe doesn't have any garlic.

[ljt2r]

Originally Posted by dreamer101

My only concern is the nutmeg. A touch of nutmeg is great but too much can make it go terribly wrong. I'm surprised the recipe doesn't have any garlic.

I agree on both counts and am liable to fiddle there.

[SusanMac]

I'm going to buck the trends & saw that I think the recipe sounds yummy! I adore cream of broccoli soup, so this sounds the same.

I agree you should come up w/a different name. For some reason, people never think of broccoli as a veggie that should be pureed. I'd just call it broccoli casserole. In fact...top it with toasted bread crumbs. That would be a yummy addition!

Definitely try it this week for yourself b4 serving it to Tday guests. I've made new recipes on holidays before, but they're usually ones that are not questionable.

[zwieback]

I think is sounds kind of good. I've made a pureed broccoli sauce for pasta (from The Silver Spoon cookbook) once and it was really good. I do agree, though, that keeping at least part of the broccoli whole is a good idea.

[heavy hedonist]

I've had those first two cookbooks for 20-some years, and never made that but always looked at it, hungrily. i'm not a puree fan myself, preferring veg with crunch, but i've always thought that that recipe could change my mind on the subject. rich, yes, but looks full of flavor.
i'd just make sure you're not trying too many new ideas all in one dinner, is all. keep 'em happy with a few faves, and you can spring a new item on them here and there...

let us know if you do it, and how it goes over.

[hAndyman]

I have been reading old posts at a blog I recently came upon (Desert Candy) and came across this post "In Praise of Puree" that has recipes and pics of 3 purees - beet-orange, broccoli, and turnip-pear and, of course, I thought of Laura's thread on her broccoli puree, and so I post the link above so people can have a look and maybe try a smaller recipe to see what they think of vegetable purees (other than mashed potatoes, squash, turnips, etc. all of which, stretching things a bit, maybe, might be thought of as purees?).
The blog has a fair number of mid-east recipes including one for musakhan that's quite different (and more traditional, I think) than the one I posted elsewhere.

Have a look and see if you can see yourself eating any of those dishes.

[ljt2r]

I have had broccoli mashed potatoes and thought they were fabulous. Maybe I will add a potato or 2 to keep the dish from being too foreign.

Thanks for the link, Andy.

[avariell]

Bumping to say that Laura made the broccoli as a side dish for her (amazing and delicious) prime rib tonight and it was AWESOME. I stand totally corrected, and I even brought a decent portion home to eat I know she added at least one potato to the mix, and I am not sure how closely she measured the dairy products (I am sure she will comment), but I just wanted to give it 2 very enthusiastic thumbs up. I plan on incorporating this dish into my regular side rotation (maybe not with full fat dairy on non-holidays ).

[ljt2r]

This turned out fabulously. My adapted recipe is below and pics (although it took bad pics) are here. I would definitely make this for another holiday meal and indeed may bring it to John's dept's holiday potluck.

Pureed Broccoli With Creme Fraiche
Adapted from The Silver Palate Cookbook

4 lbs broccoli florets (including a decent chunk of the stems, but not the huge woody stem), chopped
1 medium-large russet potato, peeled and chopped into large chunks
1 cup creme fraiche
4 T sour cream, plus more to taste if needed
1 cup freshly grated high quality Parmesan cheese
1/4 t nutmeg
salt and pepper to taste
2 T butter, cut into 8 chunks

Bring a large pot of water to boil. Drop the chopped broccoli into the water--do this in 2 stages if necessary--and blanch for about 3-4 minutes, until tender crisp and bright green. Drain in ice water. Use the same water to boil the potato until tender.

Mash the potatoes by hand and dump in a food processor. Add the creme fraiche and process until smooth. If desired, set aside a couple handfuls of the broccoli to mix in as chunks (I did this to help people realize it was broccoli--I think now you could go either way). Add the broccoli the food processor and process it thoroughly. Remove the puree and mix in the sour cream, nutmeg, Parmesan cheese, and salt and pepper. Mix in the reserved chopped broccoli if you did that. Adjust for taste if it seems too bland.

Mound in a small baking dish (eg, 8X8 or pie plate sized). Dab with the chunks of butter. Up until this point it can be made earlier in the day and baked right before dinner. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Bake the for 25 minutes or until steaming hot (if it cools to room temperature it may take a few minutes longer; I think mine took 30 minutes)

[PattiA]

I'm happy to see that you tried this and your adaptation sounds wonderful.