Brilliant Brassicas

[fanf]

We've been getting lots of cauliflower in the organic veg boxes recently, and in the last couple of weeks they have been getting odder.

Purple cauliflower: This vareity apparently resulted from the discovery of a purple coloured spontaneous mutant plant in a cauliflower field in the late 1980s, and is supposed to have an excellent flavour. The purple colour is related to the colouring of red cabbage. This Aussie distributor has an interesting web site: http://www.purplecauliflower.com.au/

Romanesque Cauliflower or Broccoli: This is even more extravagantly fractal than your usual cauliflower or broccoli. Unfortunately Google's not coming up with a decent web site about this most mathematical of vegetables. So here are some miscellaneous links: http://www.livejournal.com/users/pipu/215266.html http://cbsnewyork.com/tony/tonytanillo_story_283153435.html http://www.artonshow.biz/info/notes/note2pineapple.htm http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Broccoli http://alt.venus.co.uk/weed/fractals/romanesco.htm http://www.samcooks.com/relish/cauliflower.htm

Comments

[new-brunette.livejournal.com]

I'd not seen the Romanesque cauliflower until a few weeks ago when I noticed it on the veg stall outside Habitat. They both look funky. What did you think of the taste?

[fanf]

Haven't eaten them yet...

[new-brunette.livejournal.com]

Oh, OK. I'd be interested to know what you think of them.

[lnr]

Having just eaten one it tasted much like other cauli, esp when covered in cheese sauce, but kept its texture pleasingly well.

Mandelbroccoli

[furrfu.livejournal.com]

Wow. I see what you meant with fractal cauliflower. Actually, I think you should boil it in a Klein bottle. It's only fitting.

Re: Mandelbroccoli

[ai731.livejournal.com]

If you run out of creative ways to cook your abundance of cauliflower, make soup. Cauliflower and potato make a lovely warm thick hearty winter soup. I've been making of pot of potato-cauliflower soup every fortnight or so, because it's almost as nice a potato-leek, and leeks are too bloody expensive in this country.

Re: Mandelbroccoli

[hypatia.livejournal.com]

Oh yes I've made that, I love all brassicas except sprouts. (Yes even the baby variety in organic form). Romanescu are really nice if you just steam them whole (if small) or in large pieces because then they hold the colour, whereas if you cook them in things or in small pieces they seem to lose that green tinge.

Purple sprouting broccoli is food of the gods.
Next week I shall write on ye joy of spinach and celery. Fennel is coming into season here as well as leeks in our boxes.

worked on a farm..

[(Anonymous)]

I worked on a farm where we grew these organically. They're lots of fun!