The Enchanted Broccoli Forest

Note from Cheri: This recipe is from Mollie Katzen's classic vegetarian cookbook of the same name. Mollie says she came up with this ingenious presentation of broccoli trees planted in herbed rice pilaf for two artist friends of hers that were coming to dinner. If you prepare the rice ahead, this recipe only takes ten minutes to prepare. For more of Mollie Katzen's recipes plus a fun and informative interview with this Celebrity Chef superstar, click here.

2 C brown or white rice 1 lb. fresh broccoli 1 T butter or canola oil (plus a little extra for the pan) 1 C chopped onion 3/4 tsp. salt 1 large clove garlic, minced 2 T fresh lemon juice 2 T minced fresh dill (or 2 tsp. dried) 3 T fresh mint (or 3 tsp. dried) 1/4 C minced fresh parsley pepper to taste cayenne to taste Options: 1/2 C toasted sunflower seeds 1/4 lb. Swiss or cheddar cheese, grated a little extra butter for the top

Serves 4-6 Cook the 2 cups of rice in 3 cups of boiling water until tender (this will take 15-20 minutes for white rice, 35-45 minutes for brown). Fluff the cooked rice with a fork and set aside. Trim the tough bottoms from the broccoli stalks and cut the tops into smallish spears of whatever size suits you. Preheat oven to 325° F. Lightly grease a 9 x 13 baking pan. Melt the butter or heat the oil in a large, deep skillet or Dutch oven. Add the onion and salt and saute over medium heat for about 5 minutes or until the onion begins to soften. Add the garlic and the lemon juice and saute for about 2 minutes longer. Stir in the rice, some black pepper and cayenne to taste along with the optional ingredients. Taste to correct salt, if necessary, and spread in the prepared pan. Now the fun part. Arrange the broccoli upright in the rice, and, if desired, drizzle with melted butter. Cover loosely with foil and bake just until heated through (15 -20 minutes). Serve right away.