Broccoli Anyone?

Here is an interesting e-mail that came in today from a local church email group. I thought it was humorous.

I’ve been given 2-3 boxes of broccoli crowns. Each box is about 24″x18″x14″. Sadly, they were left outside last night by the family that is giving them to me, and they froze. That means the texture will be off- it won’t be really crisp, but a little rubbery. I’ve put up one box, but now my freezer is full. To freeze it, you’ll need to blanch it about 1-3 minutes, cut the florets off, and put it in a ziplock bag. Anybody like a box?

I know we may be in for some hard times and I may live to regret saying this, but about three blocks from here you can get a cheesy double beef burrito for less than a dollar and you don’t even have to get out of your car. You don’t have to cut anything off. You don’t have to freeze anything. You don’t have to blanch or time or worry about texture. You just unwrap it and it jumps in your mouth. You can buy chili for 49 cents all this month right around the corner at Wendy’s. Ceasar’s in Trenton has pizzas for five bucks and they are good stuff. As long as cheesy double beef burritos are so cheap and so easy to aquire, why would anyone go to so much trouble over broccoli crowns?

Don’t take me seriously. I didn’t really mean it. I know broccoli is good for you. I know cheesy double beef burritos are a really bad habit. I know it’s virtuous to grow vegetables and eat raw things and eschew fast food and distain fat, and gnaw on roots and such.

If things get any tighter more and more of us are going to have to learn how to rescue rubbery broccoli crowns, grow and raise our food, and barter with our neighbors for what we need. I guess that wouldn’t be all bad. Maybe then we will know their names and be their friends instead of just being people who pass each other on the way out for pizza.

If you are the enterprising lady who rescued the broccoli crowns and went to the trouble of measuring the boxes and offering them online, complete with preparation instructions, don’t be offended with me. I admire you. I just saw a little humor in it and took the liberty of a laugh at your expense.

Ken Pierpont
Granville Cottage
Riverview, Michigan
March 19, 2009