a great way to eat broccolli

This is one of my favorite veggie dishes. It's an Ina Garten recipe, so there's no surprise that it's made with fresh ingredients, as well as an extra yummy twist. It's delicious.

I'd probably never think of pairing broccoli, lemon and basil together, but it's an awesome combo. And the added crunch provided by the pine nuts and roasted Parmesan, mixed in with the garlic and salt, creates a salty/crispy crust that's an amazing conrast with the soft vegetables.

I've made this both in the summer and the winter, and it's been perfect each time. Oh, and an easy (lazy) way to do the broccoli is to just buy a bag of fresh florets --I get mine from Costco. And you can't beat Costco's price for pine nuts as well (just make sure you freeze the left-overs -- pine nuts are loaded with oil and will go rancid very quickly).

Parmesan-Roasted Broccoli

Ingredients

nocoupons

• 4 to 5 pounds broccoli
• 4 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
• Good olive oil
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 3 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted
• 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 tablespoons julienned fresh basil leaves (about 12 leaves)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Cut the broccoli florets from the thick stalks, leaving an inch or two of stalk attached to the florets, discarding the rest of the stalks. Cut the larger pieces through the base of the head with a small knife, pulling the florets apart. You should have about 8 cups of florets. Place the broccoli florets on a sheet pan large enough to hold them in a single layer. Toss the garlic on the broccoli and drizzle with 5 tablespoons olive oil. Sprinkle with the salt and pepper. Roast for 20 to 25 minutes, until crisp-tender and the tips of some of the florets are browned.

Remove the broccoli from the oven and immediately toss with 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, the lemon zest, lemon juice, pine nuts, Parmesan, and basil. Serve hot. (Yield: 6 servings)

i was dreading today

Today was the official last day of my 2009 summer vacation.

Usually by this point in the summer, I've put in about a week of my own time in my classroom, getting everything ready and making sure my anal-retentive, Type A personality has adequately kicked into gear as far as preparations for the year -- which always includes precisely arranging my desk and its contents, posting my bulletin boards just so, and beginning the early rough drafts of lesson plans.

Not this year. I just couldn't do it. I physically and mentally wasn't able to drag myself to campus. Not because I dislike my job (which couldn't be further from the truth) ... but rather because I just couldn't relinquish my hold on this summer.

It's been almost magical. That's a terribly melodramatic thing to say, especially out of the mouth of a terribly non-melodramatic girl. But magic is a pretty good description of my June and July.

So today I didn't even want to get out of bed and face reality. But I did -- and it was great.

Beverly came home from College Station (although she would say she left home ... haha) yesterday. Last night we watched one of our mutual favorite shows -- Ina Garten's Barefoot Contessa. She recently made a Greek dinner that looked amazing, so we got daring and decided to tackle it today.

Beverly and Mom headed to Phoenicia, a local import market, and bought everything on our list (including Greek Feta ... the real stuff ... lamb, Greek yogurt, and pita for the grill). We both love to cook, but not when we're rushed or under any sort of time crunch.

So today, my last day of summer freedom, was spent in the kitchen with my twin sister. Our menu: spinach and feta spanakopitas, fresh tzatziki with toasted pita crisps, Greek salad, and marinated lamb kebabs. The only debate came when it came time to pick the vino -- Beverly wanted a Chardonnay and me, a Sauvignon Blanc. So we bought both ... I love compromise. ;)

And it was DELICIOUS! A perfect and fitting end to a perfect summer. Now, I'm officially ready to face life and all its craziness again. Look out, world.