Tuesday, December 7, 2010

Unidentified vegetable

So, this appeared in my CSA box.

mystery veggie
{mystery veggie}

Help, please? It looks like mutant cauliflower. I'm equal parts terrified and fascinated.

mystery veggie
{mystery veggie}

46 comments:

  1. It's called Romaesco broccoli!

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romanesco_broccoli

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  2. It's a Romanesco broccoli. It's a bit more mild, tender, and sweet than regular broccoli

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  3. What Erin said! Cooking would be pretty similar to broccoli (or cauliflower I guess). Enjoy

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  4. Hey, it's an Italian Cauliflower and can be treated much the same as any cauliflower (roasting, sauteeing, steaming) but I think it makes a really nice risotto, especially if you roast it first with some garlic and cumin then top the risotto with crispy, herby breadcrumbs. Also nice sauteed with garlic, ginger, red chilli and soy with some toasted sesame seeds. Or it is really nice in an old fashioned English cauliflower cheese though this may not appeal to non-English tastes!

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  5. Wow, I've never seen this before! Please share what you end up making with it! :]

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  6. We got some of this at the farmer's market about a month ago and roasted it in the oven with olive oil, salt & pepper, and some herbs de provence! turned out deliciously. tastes/eats much like cauliflower, but tastes a bit nuttier. :)

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  7. Yes, Romanesco broccoli, yummy. I've eaten it many times. It's pretty similar to broccoli. Sadly, it's hard to find in the USA, at least in the Eastern part.

    Sandy

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  8. what they said! it makes a transcendent gratin. also, you have the best CSA ever.

    L: rachel got romanesco cauliflower for her CSA!
    J: she has a CSA right now?
    L: i think hers is two-season. she lives in california.
    J: fuckin' california.

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  9. yes, yes! romanesco! we also like to call is dr. seuss cauliflower because, well, look at it! enjoy!

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  10. Wow! I've never seen a vegetable like that, and I love that so many people knew what it was!

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  11. And interestingly, I've heard it demonstrates a fibonacci spiral, one of the most beautiful oddities of nature (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fibonacci_number)

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  12. ALSO, let me add, that one of my favorite bloggers (Rachel at Rachel Eats) has an AMAZING pasta recipe for romanesco broccoli: http://racheleats.wordpress.com/2010/01/12/pasta-e-broccoli/

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  13. You guys are awesome! Off to look up gratin recipes. Or maybe I'll roast it. That pasta recipe looks good too. Tough to decide.

    It is a crazy looking vegetable!

    @ Lauren - You'll hate me, but our CSA is year round. Yep, Southern California. Apparently we do not run out of vegetables, ever. Although there has been a large amount of cabbage of late.

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  14. It's an alien. Discard immediately. :-)

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  15. Wow, so crazy different! Love the note about "Dr. Seuss cauliflower". Can't wait to see what you cook up—enjoy!

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  16. what Lauren said. about both the romanesco and the year round CSA.

    damn california indeed. (i'm working on moving there after school...maybe)

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  17. in some ways i would just like to dry it and put it in an arrangement. it's pretty cool looking.

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  18. Wow...what ever it is, it's pretty. almost looks like a bridal arrangement.

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  19. @Char...i promise i didn't read your comment before i posted. great minds think alike.
    xoxo,
    Courtney

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  20. Man the UK sucks. I would kill for a proper CSA box.

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  21. I just posted about this recently!
    http://themostlyhealthykitchen.wordpress.com/2010/11/29/romanesco-broccoli-roman-cauliflower/

    Check it out. A romanesco broccoli. I plan on roasting mine whole. Can't wait to hear what you do with yours! It's such a neat veg!

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  22. Your second photo looks like a handful of mini Christmas trees!

    I bet it would go in this recipe, which originally called for broccoli and cauliflower:

    http://sixoneseven.blogspot.com/2010/08/five-plus-few-more-ingredient-farfalle.html

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  23. i would have LOVED to use that in wedding arrangements! so cool looking!

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  24. Yeah I've never heard of that either... Please share whatever recipe you make with it! Do they sell that at normal groceries?
    Bisous,
    Rachel
    lovealamode.wordpress.com

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  25. i have no idea what it is, but if you don't end up eating it, it would make for beautiful xmas decorations!

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  26. oh my goodness, it looks like it belongs under a microscope! bet it's tasty though :)

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  27. How exotic! At first glance it looked like it could be a really cool bouquet :)

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  28. Isn't it the prettiest stuff? The vegetable of fairy tales, most assuredly.

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  29. i would have just put it in a pretty bowl for display.

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  30. I'm missing the California growing season right about now... Two feet of snow currently cover my garden, and there are no exotic veggies to be found.

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  31. I thought it was a floral bouquet, too. Like a tight bundle of astilbe or something. Pretty.

    Let us know if it's delicious!

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  32. They look like litte Christmas trees - so pretty!

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  33. what a very photogenic veggie! Ditto...very pretty and it does look like tiny trees!

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  34. roast it like cauliflower and you will swoon.

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  35. It is so cool looking! Can't wait to hear how you prepared it.

    P.S. I'm envious of all your delicious produce.

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  36. What do you cook it with? Or how do you cook it I should ask!

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  37. Rachel--which CSA do you use? There's one over the Ortega Highway that I was considering, but everyone keeps telling me about Farm Fresh to You. Do you use either of those?

    Love the picture, too.

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  38. @ Jules - I use Farm Fresh to You and I love it. Lots of variety.

    If anyone local is ever interested in trying it, email me (link is on the side of the page) and I'll send you a code for $5 off your first delivery.

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  39. I've always called it Broccoflower. I also call it delicious.

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  40. I love this stuff! I had the same exact reaction when I first saw it...what in the world is this? But I love trying new, strange and unusual foods.

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  41. Woah, that's intense. I've never seen that before, but now I'm curious to try it!

    http://sprinklesinsprings.blogspot.com/

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