broccolini vinaigrette

Those skinny green “trees” you see in the produce section aren’t baby broccoli, they’re broccolini, a hybrid of broccoli and Chinese kale (you know they are outrageously good for you with that heritage). I like to toss them with oil and vinegar as an alternative to green salad whenever I’m at a loss for a side dish. You can grill them, too: toss the raw spears with olive oil, salt, and pepper and place them right on the barbecue. Turn with tongs as they cook, but leave them on long enough to char at the tips (shout out to Clint Callan for teaching me how to do that).

ingredients

2 bunches broccolini
sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar
extra-virgin olive oil
sea salt or kosher salt
freshly ground pepper

directions

Trim very ends off the broccolini. Steam broccolini on a rack over boiling water until just tender, but still bright green, 5 to 7 minutes.

Put in a bowl and sprinkle with vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper to taste. Toss to coat everything, then serve warm or at room temperature.