jude’s culinary journey

Who asked you, anyway?

By JUDE WATERSTON

Posted 4/22/26

On March 23, 1990, like a petulant child, President George H. W. Bush made a famous denouncement of broccoli:

“I do not like broccoli. And I haven’t liked it since I was a kid and my mother …

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jude’s culinary journey

Who asked you, anyway?

RR photo by Jude Waterston

Oven roasted shallots, asparagus, and broccoli

RR photo by Jude Waterston

Broccoli and cheddar cheese soup

Posted Wednesday, April 22, 2026 12:07 pm

Oven-roasted Broccoli and Shallots

Serves 2-4

If you don’t have a lemon zester, which makes long strips of peel, simply use a regular fine zester that you might use for hard cheeses.

1 large head of broccoli

2-3 small shallots, peeled, cut in half lengthwise

Extra-virgin olive oil

1 large lemon

Salt, preferably flaky sea

Freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese (optional)

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.

Cut and trim the broccoli, cutting away any yellowed bits. Cut the entire broccoli into florets until it is used up. You should have 3/4 pound of florets.

Put the florets and shallots in a large bowl and drizzle with a good amount of extra-virgin olive oil. Season liberally with salt and freshly ground pepper.

Using a lemon zester, cut long strips from the lemon onto a cutting board. With a sharp paring knife, chop the zest and set aside.

Line a large jelly roll pan with aluminum foil and drizzle with some of the oil. Place the broccoli florets on the pan in a single layer. Bake for 10 minutes, then remove from the oven and flip the pieces around with tongs or a wooden spoon. Return to the oven and bake an additional 10 minutes. Check for doneness by inserting the tip of a sharp paring knife into a piece of broccoli. It should go in easily but still have a bit of resistance. You don’t want to overcook the broccoli, which should be charred in places but not completely burnt.

Remove the broccoli to a shallow serving dish. Sprinkle with cheese (if using), then garnish with the lemon zest. Serve immediately.

Broccoli and Cheddar Cheese Soup

Serves 4

1 large head (at least 1 1/2 pounds) broccoli, trimmed and cut into florets

2 medium waxy potatoes, peeled and cut into small chunks

2 small onions, finely chopped

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

5 cups chicken broth

1/4 cup sherry, Madeira or Marsala

1/4 pound (4 ounces) sharp (not extra-sharp) white cheddar cheese, grated

1/4 cup heavy cream or half & half

Salt and freshly ground pepper

Set aside 2 cups loosely packed broccoli florets.

In a medium saucepan, bring 3 cups of the chicken broth to a boil. Add the 2 cups florets and bring back to the boil. Cook for about 2-3 minutes, just until crisp-tender and easily pierced with a sharp knife. Remove the florets with a slotted spoon to a colander and reserve broth. Let the florets cool in the colander and then coarsely chop them and set aside.

In a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onions and sauté, stirring frequently, for about 5-6 minutes until translucent. Add the sherry, uncooked broccoli florets, potatoes, both the reserved chicken broth and the remaining 2 cups broth, and bring to a boil. Immediately lower the heat to a simmer and cook, uncovered, until vegetables are very tender, about 20-25 minutes. Remove from heat and puree with a hand-held immersion blender or in batches in a blender, being careful to fill it only halfway each time, if using a blender.

Return soup to the stove-top on low heat. Add the 1/2 & 1/2 or cream and then the cheddar cheese, and stir until warmed through and cheese is melted.

Add reserved, cooked florets to soup and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Serve immediately.

By JUDE WATERSTON

On March 23, 1990, like a petulant child, President George H. W. Bush made a famous denouncement of broccoli:

“I do not like broccoli. And I haven’t liked it since I was a kid and my mother made me eat it. And I’m the President of the United States, and I’m not going to eat any more broccoli.”

Wow, what an earth-shattering stand on an issue that might very well have changed the course of history.

In response, California broccoli growers sent a truckload of 10 tons of broccoli to the White House. First Lady Barbara Bush, a fan of the vegetable, graciously received the “donation” along with a broccoli bouquet, on the White House lawn. It was subsequently donated to local food banks.

Now, we all have vegetables we don’t like. Okra is a staple of Southern cuisine (brought to the U.S. by enslaved Africans). It can be boiled, fried or used as a component in stews. Some people abhor it.

Beets, popular in the northen Plains (North Dakoka and Minnesota), Midwest, and states such as Wyoming, Colorado and Montana, have an eastern European influence from Russia and Poland. Beets are nutrient-dense, offering numerous health benefits. So why can’t my sister Janet stand them, no matter how many chances she gives them?

Carrots, the majority of which are grown in California, are popular in the United States. They’re high in beta-carotene, vitamins C and K, potassium and dietary fiber. I don’t enjoy them raw, steamed or grilled.

Mushroom farming is most popular in southeastern Pennsylvania, particularly in Kennett Square, which is known as the Mushroom Capital of the World. Foraging for wild mushrooms is popular in regions with high rainfall and forests. I’m a huge fan of mushrooms of all sorts, particularly wild mushrooms such as morels and chanterelles. Many can’t stomach them.

The list goes on and on. One survey I read stated that the least favorite vegetables in the United States were Brussels sprouts, radishes, turnips, artichokes and eggplant. There are two points to be made. The first is who cares what anyone, including the president, eats, whether they detest something or have a favorite? Who asked them anyway? The second is that it often depends on how a vegetable is prepared. Perhaps Bush’s mother over-boiled or -steamed broccoli without any seasonings as a preferred way of cooking them, turning them into a tasteless mush. As my brother often said of our paternal grandmother’s vegetables, “She cooks them until they’re dead.”

I like broccoli when it tastes like something, prepared in a way to bring out its natural, inherent flavor. I cannot overstate how oven-roasting with good extra-virgin olive oil, sea or kosher salt, and freshly ground black pepper transforms the taste of just about any vegetable.

Another favorite way to utilize this versatile vegetable is my broccoli and cheddar cheese soup recipe with tiny, ever-so-slightly crunchy florets floating in it for texture and deeper essence.