This uncommon, knobby vegetable almost
looks like a mythical sea creature.
Or as my husband said, some kind of
alien creature. He used some other descriptive words too, but I won't repeat
them here.
Last week, I spied this vibrant
chartreuse veggie sitting among the oranges at my local manav in Beşiktaş. I resisted
buying it because I wanted to wait until we went to the Saturday pazar
in Beşiktaş like we always do.
Only one stall had this yeşil karnabahar (green cauliflower)
as the vendor called it. I happily paid only 5 TL (about $2.80) for this 1.2
kilo monster.
Technically, green (Romanesco) cauliflower
is a relative of both broccoli and cauliflower and is referred to as Romanesco
broccoli.
In Italy, where the vegetable is popular and said to have originated
in the 16th century, people call it broccolo
romanesco. Hence, the more common name of Romanesco broccoli. (Italy, gets
all the cool vegetables and a multitude of cured meats!)
Whatever name you call this
broccoli-cauliflower cousin, its flavor is mild, creamy and nutty. It steams
well and easily could be roasted in the oven or drizzled with a beurre noisette (like I've done before with Brussels sprouts).
I'm sure it will only be around for a
limited time here in Istanbul, so grab it while you can!
In my recipe, a head of Romanesco broccoli
is trimmed into smaller florets, steamed with Brussels sprouts until tender,
and then tossed with a caper-mustard-oregano flavored butter. This makes an
amazing and hearty veggie side dish that cooks in just 10 minutes. (I spent
much more time cutting and trimming my vegetables!) The capers add a nice
tanginess.
This sexy side dish will serve as the
star of our dinner tonight with a simple
roasted chicken!
Afiyet
olsun!
Toasted pine nuts, tangy capers and garlicky butter = deliciousness! |
(Note: I am submitting this recipe for the #323 edition of Weekend Herb Blogging, which is being hosted this week by Italian blogger Marta of Viaggiare è un po' come mangiare. This weekly event is coordinated by Australian food blogger Haalo of Cook (almost) Anything At Least Once and
was founded by Kalyn of Kalyn’s Kitchen. Thank you
for stopping by!)
Green
(Romanesco) Cauliflower with Brussels Sprouts/Brüksel Lahanası ile Yeşil Karnabahar
(Inspired by a recipe in Local Flavors cookbook by Deborah Madison)
Ingredients:
3 cloves garlic
1/2 tsp. sea
salt
2 tsp. Dijon
mustard
1 tsp. dried
oregano
6 T. (85
g.) butter, room temperature
1/4 c. (45
g.) capers or caper berries,
rinsed (Often found here next to the jarred olives and pickled vegetables)
TT freshly
ground black pepper
1 lb. (450-500
g.) broccoli Romanesco*, trimmed into
bite-size pieces
8 oz. (230
g.) Brussels sprouts, sliced in
half or, if large, into quarters
2 T. lightly
toasted pine nuts
Using
a mortar, pound together the salt and garlic until you achieve a paste. Alternatively,
chop the garlic very finely.
Then,
stir this mixture into the butter with the mustard, capers and oregano. Season
with pepper. Set aside.
Fill
a large pot with about 1/2-inch (1.5 cm.) of water and pinch of salt. Bring to
a boil.
Add
the Brussels sprouts, cover with a lid, and steam for 2-3 minutes. Then add the
broccoli Romanesco and continue to cook until tender, about 5 minutes.
Immediately,
strain the vegetables and run under cold water to stop the cooking process.
Add
the caper-mustard-oregano flavored butter to the hot pot. Let melt. Drain
veggies of excess water, add to the pot along with the pine nuts and then
gently stir to coat. Serve immediately.
* White
cauliflower can be substituted for the broccoli Romanesco.
Note: Next time I make this dish, I might
use a little less butter in the recipe OR add more vegetables.