With its marvelous lime green cones and spirals, the Romanesco is a vegetable we have a hard time resisting whenever it catches our eye at the farmers' market.
Sometimes known as Romanesco broccoli, Romanesco cauliflower, or chou Romanesco, this striking brassica originally comes from northern Italy, where it was described as early as the 16th century. At the Hollywood Farmers' Market, it is usually available for a couple of months in the fall.
The Romanesco tastes similar to cauliflower, with a mildly sweet and nutty flavor. It can generally be used in any cauliflower recipe, though we favor preparations that allow us to admire its fractal form, such as steaming it whole or breaking off the points and serving them as crudité. When buying, choose a tight head with firm florets and crisp leaves. It should be stored in the refrigerator and eaten within a few days before it loses its firmness.
Related: Word of Mouth: Brassica
(Images: Gregory Han)
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Aha! I always wondered what that was but was too distracted by the other fabulous produce to ask.
Fractal broccoli!
Yep, fractal broccoli. Only it doesn't hail from north Italy, but from Latium (if it's called "romanesco", id est from Rome, there must be a reason, don't you think?).
http://www.alimentipedia.it/Verdura/Verdura_cavolo_romanesco.html
miss_p, my food reference books claim it's from northern Italy, but you've intrigued the historian in me, so I'm going to do some more research...
This makes an incredible, simple soup. Cook the broccoli in chicken stock till it's almost soft, then blend it all up. I found this recipe in a cookbook I bought in Rome, and it did not come out right with regular broccoli. I was thrilled to finally find some Romanesco!
I saw this in the market recently and was so intrigued by it I just had to buy some. I had no idea what to do with it so after some internet research I found a good cooking video for
here is the link for Pasta with Cavolo Romanesco
Emily Ho -- of course I wasn't having a go at you (nor at your cookbook :)), but I'm from Rome... ;)