Romanesco cauliflower Grown by Cathy and Gordon Case at Bigbury-on-Sea, Devon

£3.60 / x1

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.

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Country of origin

Produced in

The UK

UK Seasonality

Romanesco cauliflower is in season through the late summer, autumn and early winter, but is easily damaged by hard frosts.

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.

Grown by Cathy and Gordon Case, Bigbury-on-Sea, Devon

Cathy and her husband Gordon are members of our local co-operative, the South Devon Organic Producers. Their mild coastal farm, Lower Willings Farm, is settled over the peaks above the village of Bigbury-on-Sea. Cathy and Gordon grow kohlrabi, cabbages, purple sprouting broccoli and more for our veg boxes – but most of all, we rely on their firm, nutty cauliflowers.