Broccoli is so nutritionally awesome, I dare say I am not going out on a limb by declaring broccoli the Supreme Ruler of the Veggieverse. Clearly you all are realizing right about now that I spend far too much time with my super-hero-obsessed son.

Pardon my digression, but I'm right, aren't I? If broccoli can be death-defying, cancer-fighting, calcium-rich and just plain yummy, then why shouldn't we put it on a well-deserved pedestal?

Try putting it on a plate instead -- with these three recipes: one easy, one cool, and one stealthy.

Holy green beans, Batman! That is pretty much what my super-hero-obsessed three-year-old said when he saw how many green beans we picked this week at our CSA Farm.

In the interest of finding a healthy and exciting new recipe to try, I hit one of my favorite food sites, Epicurious, and found a recipe for Green Bean and Fennel Salad with Dill Pesto. A few quick alterations and we've got a dinner:

• I'm leaving out the orzo (since my son is allergic to wheat) and using brown rice instead.
• Double the amount of green beans? You bet!
• Since we have an abundance of fresh basil, I'll opt for the traditional basil pesto.
• I don't have white balsamic vinegar, so I'll use the regular type.
• To accompany this green bean salad, I'll grill some free range chicken breasts with pesto.

I'm looking forward to trying this recipe with my alterations. How would you change Epicurious' original recipe?

Source

At the farmer's market today, I was able to buy three huge bunches of basil for three dollars... total. Food prices may be going up, but at the farm market, in-season means easy on the pocket book. After digging through my pantry for a few other staples, I had all the necessary ingredients for pesto. Not only is pesto a favorite summer treat, it freezes well, which means healthy, local meals for winter. And because it's essentially a raw dish (you'll need to cook the pasta or bread that you put it on), it's perfect treat for when the kitchen is just too hot to cook.

Pesto's base ingredients are basil, olive oil, walnuts, and garlic, which means that it's loaded with antioxidants and heart-healthy omega-3s. (Pesto lovers learn early that a little goes a long way. Not only is pesto quite oily, it also has a very strong taste.) But creative cooks need not stop there -- pesto is very forgiving and does well with substitutions.

If you think pesto might have a place on your menu, now is the time to try it. Here are four great ways to enjoy pesto this summer:

Fresh basil pesto

Low-fat pesto

Non-basil pestos

Sun-dried tomato pesto