Try This Vegetable: Romanesco

I don't particularly like either broccoli or cauliflower, so I've told my CSA not to send me any in my weekly produce box. A couple of weeks ago I thought I spotted cauliflower in the box, but when I looked closely I realized it was romanesco.

Romanesco is actually romanesco broccoli. It's closer to cauliflower than it is to broccoli, though, and has a milder, nuttier flavor. It's a beautiful vegetable, light green with stunning fractal spirals. It has lots of vitamin C, vitamin K, and fiber. I studied it in both awe and horror, before asking for recommendations. Someone recommended roasting it.

I chopped out the stem and broke it into little romanescolets, then tossed them with olive oil and black pepper and roasted them for about half an hour. When they were done I added some shredded parmesan. Not bad!

I recently got more. This time while I roasted it I sauteed some onions in olive oil. When the romanesco came out of the oven I added stock to the pot with the onions, then tossed the romanesco in and let it cook. When it was soft I whipped out the hand blender and pureed the whole thing, then added sea salt, cracked pepper, and a little bit of heavy cream. I served the soup with a little bit of crispy pancetta on top.

I'll admit... I still don't love romanesco, and I probably wouldn't seek it out. I'm happy to eat it when it shows up, though.