Charred Broccoli Salad with Honey Citrus Vinaigrette

Citrus Vinaigrette
4 oz. mandarin orange juice *You can typically expect one ounce of juice per fruit.
1 oz. lemon juice
¼ tsp Aleppo pepper
1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
½ teaspoon salt
2 Tablespoon honey
1 cup extra virgin olive oil, or neutral oil of choice

Place everything in the base of a blender, except the extra virgin olive oil.

With the blender running on medium speed, stream in the olive oil to form an emulsification.

Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.

Honey Pickled Vegetables
2 cups cider vinegar or rice wine vinegar
1 cup honey
1 cup water
Zest of one lemon
1-2 sprigs of basil
2 teaspoon Aleppo pepper
1 Tablespoon salt

Combine all ingredients in a 2-quart sauce pot and bring to a simmer to dissolve the honey and salt, infusing all the flavors of the basil and lemon.

Remove the pickling solution from the heat, and chill rapidly. Pour the liquid into a bowl, and stir with another bowl underneath filled with ice and water.

Once the pickling solution is chilled, add your vegetables and allow them to soak for at leasrt two hours, overnight is best. Pickles can keep for up to one month covered in the refrigerator.

Sunflower Seed Puree
1-2 cups sunflower kernels
1 cup water (use 1½ cups of water if using 2 cups of sunflower seeds)
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 ½ Tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon salt

Put sunflower seeds, water and salt into a sauce pot and bring to a simmer for 20 minutes to soften the seeds.

Place the contents in a blender with the addition of the honey. Blend while streaming the oil in the top of the blender to form a smooth puree.

Roasted Broccoli
2 heads of broccoli with stems attached
Salt to taste
Rice oil or neutral oil of choice, enough to coat the broccoli

Wash the broccoli and dry.

Separate the large stem from the florets.

Place a sauté pan in a 475-degree F preheated oven.

Toss the florets in a bowl with oil to coat.

Remove the pan from the oven, and add the broccoli to the pan. Place the pan back in the oven, and roast for 5-8 minutes, depending on desired doneness. I would lean towards 5 minutes for the crunch.

Peel the broccoli and cut into coins. Place in the pickling solution.

Assemble the Salad
Place roasted broccoli, pickled vegetables – such butternut squash ribbons and broccoli stems, sunflower seeds, cured black olives and chives in a bowl, and toss in citrus vinaigrette.

Place a dollop of the sunflower puree on the plate and spread into a circle.

Taste the broccoli salad and adjust seasoning as needed.

Place broccoli salad directly on top of the sunflower puree on your plate.

Dress a few leaves of bitter greens, such as radicchio or mustard greens, place decoratively on top and enjoy!

Watch the In the Kitchen video to see how it's made!