The Goods
 Lenny's Favorite TODAY!
|
What's Fresh |
 
|
 |
|
|
Mathematicians and foodies rejoice—t’is the season for delicious, stunningly beautiful, fractal Romanesco broccoli. Not being math geniuses, we had to look up “fractal” to find that it refers to an object (in this case, a member of the cabbage and cauliflower family) whose shape is made up of a whole bunch of little copies of itself. Each little crown of florets on Romanesco’s head is a mini Romanesco head—how cool is that? We can stare at Romanesco’s logarithmic spiral for hours, but we’d much rather cook and share this amazing cruciferate.
Like its cousins, broccoli, cauliflower, and Brussels sprouts, Romanesco is at its best in grocery stores and farmer’s markets from late fall to early spring. Though often referred to as a type of broccoli, it actually has more in common with cauliflower when it comes to culinary preparations. We love to slice it into slabs, coat it in extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle it with coarse salt and black pepper before roasting it in a very hot (450 degree) oven until tender. It’s also delicious steamed, then tossed with shredded pecorino cheese and buttered fresh breadcrumbs and baked. Any of your favorite cauliflower recipes can be made beautifully chartreuse with Romanesco, but since it is a little more delicate, cut back on the cooking time slightly. A great conversation piece as well as side dish, look for Romanesco at your local farmer’s market—it will put a smile on the faces of gourmands and mathematicians alike. |
|
|
|
