Broccoli

Broccoli, the most common type actually being calabrese, has been hailed as a health marvel. Rich in vitamin A, C, B6 and K, riboflavin, thiamine, niacin and a whole host of other trace elements and minerals, it has also been linked to anticancer compounds and immune defence. This amazing vegetable is a member of the brassica family, having evolved from a wild European cabbage. Aside from its colour it doesn't look a great deal like a cabbage. Atop relatively thick, branching green stalks, the cluster of florets are in fact tightly closed flower buds. Left alone these would open in tiny yellow flowers. There are leaves along the stalks, these are edible but are likely to be bitter. The stalks themselves, though often discarded are also edible, and will cook in the same amount of time as the florets if peeled first then sliced, indeed there are some who consider the stalks more tasty than the florets.

Purple broccoli is as the name suggests, tinged with purple; sprouting broccoli spears are single thinner stems with smaller florets, while tenderstem is a single small floret on a single stem. Sprouting and tenderstem are more grown for the flavoursome stem than the floret. What ever the type, broccoli is best steamed to preserve the nutrients, although it can be cooked in other ways such as boiling although more goodness will be lost. Broccoli is gaining popularity as a raw salad vegetable. Discard any stalks which are woody and hard, and choose all-green broccoli where the tiny flower bud are tightly closed and not yellowing. With tenderstem and sprouting broccoli the stem should be firm when held at one end and not droopy.