Vegetable of the Year (2011)
The year is early, but there is a strong contender for vegetable of the year already. It is:
Roasted Romanesco.
For those that don’t know, romanesco is a cultivar of cauliflower, or broccoli. It’s more like the former, but not completely unlike the latter. And since those are both cultivars of the same species, I think the specifics aren’t important. What is important is that roasting it creates a delightful, and healthy vegetable side dish.
Approximate recipe:
- Preheat oven to 425
- Cut off thickest part of stem out of head of romanesco. Break off big ‘bit sized’ branches. When they start getting small, cut out the rest stem into the middle, and slice into bite sized chunks. Quarter (or sixth, depending on size) the top bit.
- Toss romanesco with a tablespoon or so of olive oil, and some kosher salt. You can add a couple of cloves of minced garlic too.
- Put romanesco in a baking dish and bake for 30-40 minutes until browned and crispy.
Of course, I’m sure there are many other things you can do, this is just what I’ve done so far, and immensely enjoyed.
Also coming soon: A post about bread!