Organic Romanesco
Cauliflower’s glamorous sister has arrived: nutty, crunchy Romanesco, with mathematically perfect spiralled florets.
About
You can’t fail to be impressed by the bright lime green colour and mathematical perfection of Romanesco cauliflower. And its virtues extend beyond this marvellous appearance. With a nutty flavour somewhere between cauliflower and Calabrese broccoli, and a distinctively crunchy texture, it's one of the few ‘novelty’ veg that tastes better than its more common relatives.
Country of origin
Produced in- The UK
UK Seasonality
How to prepare
Approach Romanesco cauliflower in the same way you would standard cauli. To prepare it, remove the bottom and the outer leaves, break or chop it into florets, and blanche in water for around 3 minutes - or, to bring out its nutty flavour, roast the florets for 10-15 minutes until beginning to brown. Eat tossed with toasted pine nuts, plump currants, lemon zest, parsley and couscous for a lovely sweet and sour combination.
With its stunning fractal patterns, Romanesco is also a winner served whole. Pare away the leaves and base, then boil or steam for 10-12 minutes, until just tender. Shock in cold water quickly after cooking to preserve its bright green colour.
Storage
Delivered from our farm, so wash before cooking. Romanesco keeps well, longer than Calabrese broccoli (more like cauliflower), but it's best to keep it in the fridge.
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Grown by Andy & Kate (Assouad) Maciver-Redwood, St. Dominic, Cornwall
Kate & Andy Mciver-Redwood run Haye Farm on the Cornish bank of the River Tamar growing purple sprouting broccoli, kale, cauliflowers, leeks and romanesco.
Romanesco recipes
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Saffron roasted Romanesco
Serves: 4 Total time: 40 min
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Spelt pasta with roasted Romanesco and garlic, sun-dried tomato and olive crumbs
Serves: 2 Total time: 40 min
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Romanesco tabbouleh with almonds and pistachios
Serves: 4 Total time: 40 min
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Sicilian Romanesco
Serves: 2 Total time: 40 min
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Cauliflower Polonaise
Serves: 4 Total time: 25 min
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Parmesan polenta baked chicken with sweet and sour leeks and red rice
Serves: 2 Total time: 40 min