I try to buy produce locally and cook it seasonally. But there comes a time in late winter/early spring when I can’t bear to roast another Brussels sprout, bake another sweet potato or massage another leaf of kale into submission. That’s when I buy broccoli grown who knows where and transported to my friendly neighborhood Whole Foods Market. Call it a bridge to the days of peas and asparagus.
Once I get it home, I usually douse it with curry powder and roast it. But I’ve been trying to break out of that rut, too, looking for ideas that speak of spring.
I found something that fills the bill in the new cookbook “Meatless: More Than 200 of the Very Best Vegetarian Recipes,” by the kitchens of Martha Stewart Living. The broccoli becomes a pesto of sorts — one without cheese and with less basil than usual.
The recipe uses wide rice noodles instead of pasta, a choice that adds even more lightness and also makes the dish gluten-free.