Fresh from the Field: Meet the Brassicas (Part 1)

Say friends, did you know if you love produce, produce will love you back? Don’t believe me? I’d like to tell you about one particular family of vegetables that loves us back so much it’s crazy. The family is Brassica. Included are cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage, brussel sprouts, kale, collard greens, mustard greens and turnips, to name a few.

See? You knew them already.

In the last twenty years or so the Brassica Family has been the subject of a ton of scientific study. It appears that broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage contain several phytochemicals very beneficial to human health. The chemical that has thus-far earned the most attention from medical researchers is Sulforaphane. This potent booster of Phase 2 enzymes stimulates our cells’ ability to protect against disease. Indole-3-carbinol, another beneficial chemical found in Brassicas, appears to slow or prevent the growth of tumors of the breast and prostate. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Brassicas contain other beneficial chemicals called Glucosinolates which may improve the liver’s ability to detoxify carcinogenic compounds. In fact, Johns Hopkins University has dedicated an entire lab to the study of these wonderful vegetables.

I know you’re probably thinking, “Shucks, that’s all well and good but I don’t like  broccoli/cabbage/brussel sprouts/kale/etc.” Or maybe you enjoy the flavor but don’t have the time or gumption to prepare these vegetables. Lucky you, I know a couple super-delicious and fast ways you can prepare members of the Brassica Family. Let’s start with cabbage.

Slaw makes a great use of cabbage

First off, cabbage can be eaten raw as coleslaw. Time was, coleslaw was more than just a side dish; people used to eat it by the truckload. Sadly, coleslaw has fallen out of favor, but thanks to some new ideas, it’s making a comeback. Turns out you can put more than just carrots and red onions into coleslaw: shredding beets has become quite popular for flavor and color. If you need a kick from your slaw, try adding jalapeños, ginger, horseradish, daikon radish or the provocative black Spanish radish. Chives, green onions, cilantro, fennel, shallots and parsley are all good additions. And as for dressing, your options are almost endless. How about some fresh lime juice and sour cream, or maybe blue cheese and mayo, or perhaps toasted sesame oil and wasabi, apple cider vinegar is always a good choice; shoot, just throw your favorite salad dressing on it. And hey, coleslaw doesn’t take much time so don’t rush the chopping. Some folks like to blanche their cabbage, others prefer it raw. If you dress and let it sit a while, the cabbage will soften a little. I never could make something and then let it sit for very long, but I love my slaw raw. Alternatively, cabbage is sure to improve any stir-fry or soup, and the leaves can be used to roll almost anything. Pork, beef, chicken, even tofu–they all taste good in a cabbage roll. But enough cabbage.

Roast it up!

Of all the Brassica family, I love cauliflower most of all. I know there are others like me. In fact, I once knew a Cauliflower addict. Oh it’s true. Crazy for cauliflower she was. She ate it raw and always used her hands, like a mouse with a piece of cheese. When I knew her she would go into that Souper Salad just load her plate with cauliflower. I’m not at that stage yet, but I can see it down the road.

Did you ever look really close at a head of Cauliflower? It’s a fractal, just hard to see because of the white color. Check out Romanesco broccoli some time; same thing but much easier to see. Cauliflower is good any which way: roasted, raw, creamed, steamed, sautéed, puréed, in a soup, in a salad, over rice, under cheese, on a trip or with some dip.

Tune in tomorrow for my favorite cauliflower recipe of them all!

Peace, Phil

Phil, at ease in Produce