The Wedding Bouquet Vegetable Platter or Romanesco Romano!

By: French Tart
Sep 3, 2008

Thanks to Sue L and Cookgirl for giving me the zany recipe title ideas! Yes, this beautiful vegetable does indeed look like a wedding bouquet, or maybe even a collection of small Christmas trees.........it is the most beautiful looking vegetable in the world, in my humble opinion! However, never mind its looks - it tastes wonderful, having a nutty and buttery taste and holds its shape better than cauliflower or broccoli when cooked. A little more information on this gorgeous vegetable: Romanesco is an unusual crop. Not quite a calabrese and not quite a cauliflower but with aspects of both. It has a taste and texture exceeding the finest broccoli and is a member of the Brassica family. Romanesco broccoli was first documented in Italy (as broccolo romanesco) in the sixteenth century. It is sometimes called broccoflower, but that name is also applied to green-curded cauliflower cultivars. Romanesco is best steamed rather than boiled as it will retain its flavour and texture better. Small spears can also be stir-fried or even eaten raw in salads or with a dip as crudities. This recipe is simple and keeps the full flavour of the romanseco; use any Italian cheese you have to hand - I used Parmesan cheese in the photos I posted, a few toasted hazelnuts may also be a fine finishing touch. One more piece of useless information (!!), the fractal spiral of this vegetable is an example of the golden ratio, which is linked mathematically to all kinds of interesting things, such as the proportions of human faces - I told you it was an amazing vegetable!