Take a head of broccoli, tint it lime green and decorate it with spires and minarets and you’ve got Romanesco! One of the more unusual vegetables featured in the Market Bags from Lake Tahoe Markets, Romanesco appears to be part psychedelic broccoli, part alien life form. The most fascinating part of Romanesco is its appearance. Its spiraled buds form a natural approximation of a fractal, meaning each bud in the spiral is composed of a series of smaller buds.
Romanesco is actually an edible flower from the family that includes broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, and cabbage. It tastes very similar to cauliflower, but with a slightly nuttier, earthier flavor. You can use it as you would cauliflower in recipes, and it holds up to many different cooking methods. Cook it briefly to emphasize the grassy, vegetal aspects of its flavor; cook it longer and a subtle, earthy sweetness emerges.
Don’t be intimidated by Romanesco’s good looks or fame – it loves to be treated simply like you would broccoli or cauliflower. Here we’ve roasted it with shallots, garlic, and lemon zest and served it with a green salsa and Calabrian chilies.
Roasted Romanesco
1 head Romanesco
1-2 Tbsp. olive oil
4-6 large garlic cloves, each sliced into 4-5 slices lengthwise
2 shallots, cut into wedges
1-2 Tbsp. lemon zest
½ tsp. chili flakes
Salt and pepper
¼ cup shredded parmesan
Sauce:
1 cup fresh parsley, packed
2 garlic cloves
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
2 tsp. lemon zest
2 Tbsp. capers
1 Tbsp. caper “juice” from the jar
1-2 anchovies
1/3 cup olive oil
¼ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. pepper
Preheat oven to 425 ° F. Remove the leaves and stems off the Romanesco, and trim off any discolored ends. Slice the leaves in half lengthwise to create strips. Cut the stem in half, then in 1/4-1/2 inch thick strips. Carefully, starting from the bottom of the bud, pull off the spires with your fingers, keeping them intact. Place all in a big bowl. Drizzle with olive oil, add the sliced garlic, shallots, zest, salt, pepper and chili flakes and toss to coat well. Place on a parchment-lined sheet pan, not overlapping. Bake for 15 minutes, stir in parmesan cheese, and bake for 5-10 more minutes, until tender-crisp, yet still vibrant in color.
While it is roasting, make the sauce by placing all ingredients in a food processor and pulse until uniformly chopped and combined. Add more olive oil to loosen it if you like. (You can also finely mince everything by hand and stir in a small bowl.)
To serve, place a few tablespoons of sauce on a large plate or platter, place the roasted romanesco over the top, with tips pointing up and out-along with all the toasty bits. Then add a few more spoonfuls of sauce over and around. For color and heat, add sliced Calabrian chilies before serving.
By Jill Rozier Lake Tahoe Markets www.LakeTahoeMarkets.com