broccoli

Occasionally (2 times in 2.3 years) I have been able to find this green, fragrant, fantastic vegetable in my town. Those were joyous days indeed. I decided to do something about the long lapses in between broccoli intake - being the problem solver that I am :P

In 2007, I asked my mom to send me seeds for my birthday. I planted them in little yogurt containers in April and watered and fussed over them for the next many weeks. When they looked tall and strong enough, I planted them in my landlord’s garden (with permission, of course). I went away for less than a week to a conference, and when I returned, my dear extraordinary broccoli plants were plowed over to make way for ordinary lettuce (which, to make matters worse, never came up). It’s not like my landlord forgot about my broccoli – he was the one who insisted on planting each one with me (like I needed a chaperon or something) – but he was pretty sure that I made a mistake and had planted weeds. Or so he said. Eh, it’s been a year and a half, and I suppose I’m over it by now.

This year, spring of 2008, I spotted broccoli seeds in Croatia. I bought them. I didn’t plant them until late May or early June…hence the lateness in harvesting. Really, who picks broccoli the second week of November? But I am so excited - even if all of this work will be eaten in 2 sittings! I feel like the vegetarian cat dude in An American Tale: I can't wait to eat "...a nice fresh piece of brah-koh-leeee!"