We are looking for a vegetable wonk to tell us exactly, precisely what the heck this is -- besides farm grown, probably not genetically modified, maybe hybridized, defiinitely grew out of the ground and probably not cannabis. Photo from the Kingston Farmer's Market by Eric Francis.
click on “vegetables and fruit” about two thirds down the list of contents
also pretty sure this stuff grows in a fractal right? golden ratio anyone? holla plato! (I also got some greek in me)
my favorite preparation is to roast it. A la siciliano. I gots a little in me. Not romanesco. but sicilian.
Remove outer leaves and any tough part of the core.
Break or cut into evenly sized florets.
Place on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil to coat. Season with salt and crushed red pepperoncini to taste – get as nasty spicy as you like…
Spread it out so that it’s in a single, even layer, this will allow the romanesco to roast, instead of steaming.
Roast in a 425 degree oven for 15 minutes, mixing it around once. Then sprinkle with 1/2 cup pinenuts, 1/2 cup currants (I like sultanas too) 1/4 cup breadcrumbs (homemade or seasoned or panko or whatever) 2 tablespoons of capers (brine drained away) and 2 cloves garlic, minced real fine. Mix it around real good to distribute the ingredients evenly. Return to the oven and roast another 5-10 minutes until everything is fragrant and starting to get real nicely golden-golden browned on the edges.
When it feels right, drizzle with a little red wine vinegar – no more than a tablespoon. Drizzle with a little olive oil too if you feel like being luxurious. Then sprinkle with a little cheese which is completamente opcional. I like pecorino romano on everything. If there was a pecorino siciliano I would use that.
this is by no means a tested recipe. I can do that. but I was more inspired to share a recipe off the cuff – One that I am familiar with on an instinctual level, that pinged the moment I looked at the photo. It’s offered in the spirit of community and sharing and delicious summer revelry. Kinda like all y’all and the planet waves love extravaganza.
Yep, romanesco….can cook it or eat raw…..or use as still life! Delicioso 🙂
Ok, directly from Italy: the one you call “romanesco” (other common name here) is the one on the right of the picture. That one with the so beautiful green spirals that can look like little pyramids.
There could be also a couple of them in the basket, but behind. I can’t see very well.
The one in the center of the picture, in the front, I think it should be what you call broccoli rabe, or rapini (‘cime di rapa’ here).
Buon appetito!
romanesco…hmmm,
new one on me, but it looks deliciously cruciferous. should work well in my jardin along with the chilis and basil.
“There may be small yellow flowers blooming from the buds”
e. and Company:
Are we having a Cancer moment or WHAT? on the PW blog?
Wow. I am a Californian. Land of fruit, veggies and definitely nuts. But I have never seen THAT veggie before!
Amanda: How do you prepare it?
Fe Bongolan is now attending to her Encyclopedia of Cooking Ingredients, the modern, British version of Larousse Gastronomique, definitely cheaper and a lot less heavy. Oh and did I say I don’t speak a word of French?
Definitely romanesco – yummy!
yup ! romanesco. got some growing in my garden right now 🙂
Hmmm, yum, the Romanesco we get looks like a beautiful little green/purple pyramid and tastes divine!
yep — definitely romanesco which, by the way, is an Italian cultivar my dear Sicilian. it’s been around quite awhile, just not commercially available around here till relatively recently. my understanding is that broccoli/cauliflower originated in Italy & wasn’t introduced to France till the 1500s or something.
I’d agree; it is some sort of brassica lik romanesco or veronica.
BTW, is it GroundHogDay (aka the movie)? This is the third time I’ve had the SAME deja-vu when responding to a post – that I’ve done exactly this before but that it was a different blog.
Sigh. Damn Time-warps.
enjoy your veggies!
Yes, it does (look like romanesco) I’ve never tried it because its too close company to cauliflower which does not agree with me. But if pix is what I’ve seen in the market, (lt loosely looks sort of like a cross between cauli- and brocolli or bright green cauliflower) then that’s it.
Looks more like broccolini to me. Though all in family, right?
I’m about to say something utterly off topic:
This photo makes me miss the sort of gruff way I like to casually flirt with white American women who are selling things.
Golden Ratio – 1.618 etc.
Just finished a term of design using that darn thing….:D
http://www.maths.surrey.ac.uk/hosted-sites/R.Knott/Fibonacci/fibnat.html#veg
click on “vegetables and fruit” about two thirds down the list of contents
also pretty sure this stuff grows in a fractal right? golden ratio anyone? holla plato! (I also got some greek in me)
my favorite preparation is to roast it. A la siciliano. I gots a little in me. Not romanesco. but sicilian.
Remove outer leaves and any tough part of the core.
Break or cut into evenly sized florets.
Place on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil to coat. Season with salt and crushed red pepperoncini to taste – get as nasty spicy as you like…
Spread it out so that it’s in a single, even layer, this will allow the romanesco to roast, instead of steaming.
Roast in a 425 degree oven for 15 minutes, mixing it around once. Then sprinkle with 1/2 cup pinenuts, 1/2 cup currants (I like sultanas too) 1/4 cup breadcrumbs (homemade or seasoned or panko or whatever) 2 tablespoons of capers (brine drained away) and 2 cloves garlic, minced real fine. Mix it around real good to distribute the ingredients evenly. Return to the oven and roast another 5-10 minutes until everything is fragrant and starting to get real nicely golden-golden browned on the edges.
When it feels right, drizzle with a little red wine vinegar – no more than a tablespoon. Drizzle with a little olive oil too if you feel like being luxurious. Then sprinkle with a little cheese which is completamente opcional. I like pecorino romano on everything. If there was a pecorino siciliano I would use that.
this is by no means a tested recipe. I can do that. but I was more inspired to share a recipe off the cuff – One that I am familiar with on an instinctual level, that pinged the moment I looked at the photo. It’s offered in the spirit of community and sharing and delicious summer revelry. Kinda like all y’all and the planet waves love extravaganza.
Yep, romanesco….can cook it or eat raw…..or use as still life! Delicioso 🙂
Ok, directly from Italy: the one you call “romanesco” (other common name here) is the one on the right of the picture. That one with the so beautiful green spirals that can look like little pyramids.
There could be also a couple of them in the basket, but behind. I can’t see very well.
The one in the center of the picture, in the front, I think it should be what you call broccoli rabe, or rapini (‘cime di rapa’ here).
Buon appetito!
romanesco…hmmm,
new one on me, but it looks deliciously cruciferous. should work well in my jardin along with the chilis and basil.
It looks like it might be broccoli rabe to me.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rapini
“There may be small yellow flowers blooming from the buds”
e. and Company:
Are we having a Cancer moment or WHAT? on the PW blog?
Wow. I am a Californian. Land of fruit, veggies and definitely nuts. But I have never seen THAT veggie before!
Amanda: How do you prepare it?
Fe Bongolan is now attending to her Encyclopedia of Cooking Ingredients, the modern, British version of Larousse Gastronomique, definitely cheaper and a lot less heavy. Oh and did I say I don’t speak a word of French?
Definitely romanesco – yummy!
yup ! romanesco. got some growing in my garden right now 🙂
Hmmm, yum, the Romanesco we get looks like a beautiful little green/purple pyramid and tastes divine!
yep — definitely romanesco which, by the way, is an Italian cultivar my dear Sicilian. it’s been around quite awhile, just not commercially available around here till relatively recently. my understanding is that broccoli/cauliflower originated in Italy & wasn’t introduced to France till the 1500s or something.
I’d agree; it is some sort of brassica lik romanesco or veronica.
BTW, is it GroundHogDay (aka the movie)? This is the third time I’ve had the SAME deja-vu when responding to a post – that I’ve done exactly this before but that it was a different blog.
Sigh. Damn Time-warps.
enjoy your veggies!
Yes, it does (look like romanesco) I’ve never tried it because its too close company to cauliflower which does not agree with me. But if pix is what I’ve seen in the market, (lt loosely looks sort of like a cross between cauli- and brocolli or bright green cauliflower) then that’s it.
looks like romanesco or romanesco cauliflower.