We joined a new CSA for the Winter and had our first pickup last weekend. We were stunned by the amount of awesome quality vegetables that we received. The Romanesco broccoli or broccoflower pictured below was by far the strangest thing in the bin. We had some last night with dinner and it tasted a lot like cauliflower.
Originally uploaded by jjzach
Advertisements
In Rome, broccoli romani (this is the common name for this thing) are one of the basic ingredients of a fish soup called “minestra di broccoli e arzilla”. The other ingredient is a second-rate fish of the family of rays, not very fleshy. The idea is preparing a stock using the fish, then clean as much flesh as possible out of the fish bones while at the same time cooking broccoli florets and pasta in the stock. Broccolo romano should be able to stay a little more “al dente” as opposed to cauliflowers, this is why it is preferred here. Finish up with any fish flesh that you could collect and some red pepper flakes. If I have ever tasted it? Nope, I don’t eat fish, but it’s supposedly tasty