Broccoli Purée

If you have no veggies or colourful side dishes, this one's for you. Broccoli with lemon and a touch of Parmesan will brighten up any dish.

2 lbs broccoli crowns, cut into florets, stems thinly sliced
¼ cup (½ stick) unsalted butter
1 tsp. sea salt
black pepper, freshly ground
½ tsp. lemon zest, freshly grated

Garnish:
Parmesan cheese,freshly grated
drizzle lemon-infused olive oil

Grease a 3 qt baking dish or heat-proof bowl with butter or olive oil.

Steam broccoli florets until tender, about 5-8 minutes. This can be done using a steamer basket or by bringing an inch of water to boil in a large pot, adding broccoli and cooking until tender. Do not undercook, otherwise the puree will not be smooth.

Working in batches if necessary, add the steamed broccoli and remaining ingredients to a food processor and puree until smooth, scraping down the sides as necessary. The broccoli must be pureed while it is warm. (Do not cook broccoli, chill and then puree.)

Spoon purée into baking dish, cover, and keep warm in the oven until ready to serve. Top with freshly grated cheese and/or lemon olive oil, if desired.

Makes 6 servings.

Cook's Notes: Entire mixture can be made the day before and refrigerated. Reheat covered in a 350°F (180°C/160°C fan, Gas Mark 4) oven for about 45 minutes.