Cabbages

Magnolias

• General & History
• Varieties
• Health Considerations - amd nutrition
• Links - to information on Cabbages

Most cabbages have small clusters of flowers on fleshy stems, but plant breeders, starting in Roman times, have coaxed some into producing huge densely packed flower heads which are highly edible when immature. If they are allowed to mature and the flowers open they become bitter. The flowers in the main head are sterile, but if left to mature the stem will sprout small flower heads that are fertile and produce seeds.

Caper   -   [Brassicaceae Capparis spinosa ]

The caper bush grows semi-wild all around the Mediterranean (though it skips a few regions in North Africa). Flower buds are salted and pickled for use as a tart ingredient in many recipes from the region. Berries are also used pickled and are well thought of, but not much available in North America. Leaves are used pickled or cooked in salads in the region but are not available here. Epicures consider salted capers superior to pickled, but those too are not much available in North America.   Photo by Lorsh contributed to the public domain. Details and Cooking.

Nasturtium   -   [Brassicaceae Tropaeolum majus]

Oddly, Nasturtiums doesn't belong to genus Nasturtium (Watercress does). Both the flowers and leaves of this easy to grow plant are used, mostly in salads. The leaves are fairly strongly peppery while the flowers are milder and very decorative, being fairly large and coming in yellow, orange and red. Nasturtium buds are sometimes pickled as a substitute for capers.   Photo © i0093.

Broccoli Calabrese   -   [Broccoli; Brócolis americano (Brazil); B. Brassica oleracea Group Italica]

Broccoli was probably known in Roman times, though it probably looked much more like today's Chinese Broccoli. It continued to be developed by growers to produce the large flower heads we know today. These heads are harvested and eaten well before maturity because they will open into yellow flowers and become mushy and bitter. Broccoli stems are also quite edible, though older and tougher ones may need to be peeled. Like other cabbages, broccoli is high in fiber, vitamin C, antioxidants and is suspected of significent anticancer benefits. The photo specimens were about 5-1/2 inches across, 5-1/2 inches long and weighed 13 ounces. Broccoli is often sold in narrower heads and/or with longer stems. Details and Cooking.

Baby Broccoli   -   [#3277 Aspiration^tm, Brocolini^tm, Sweet Baby Broccoli ^tm, Tenderstem^tm Broccoli, Aspabroc^tm, Brócolis (Brazil); Brassica oleracea, Italica Group x Alboglabra Group]

This is a hybrid between Chinese Broccoli and regular Calabrese broccoli, It was produced by the Sakata Seed Company of Yokohama, Japan, under the name "Aspabroc". It is now marketed under a number of trademarked names. Oddly, in Brazil this is the normal broccoli, with our regular Calabrese broccoli called brócolis americano and sold at a higher price.

This broccoli can now be found in most well stocked supermarkets in North America, sold in bunches of less than 1/2 pound at yuppified prices (around US $7.00 per pound). It can easily be told from other thin stemmed varieties by it's almost total lack of leaves. The stems are reasonably tender and edible. This is a characteristic of Chinese broccoli, but this hybrid has larger flower heads and is less leafy. Being a hybrid of broccoli x broccoli, it tastes pretty much like broccoli, but I'm sticking with regular broccoli and Chinese broccoli both of which I can buy for well under US $1.00 per pound.

Broccoli Calabrese - Heirloom   -   [B. Brassica oleracea Group Italica]

This leafy, small headed variety is probably similar to those known in Roman times. The stems are thin and quite tender so the whole bunch can be used. These were purchased from a specialty grower in Southern California who does a lot of business in greens.

Actually, with some heading heirloom types are, once the central head is harvested, the plants are knocked down. They then send up plenty of side sprouts similar to these. The side sprouts are generally enjoyed by the growers and do not reach the markets.

Broccoli, Chinese
- see Chinese Broccoli is closely related to European Broccoli, but it is used as a leafy green, the flower heads being few and very small.

Broccoli Rabe
- see Rappini which is actually a turnip green, though it looks a lot like Chinese broccoli which is actually broccoli while most other Asian greens are turnips.

Brocciflower   -   [Brassica oleracea Group ????]
In appearance similar to Broccoflower this is an artificial genetically engineered cross between sexually incompatible Cauliflower and Broccoli. Denounced as "Frankenfood" it has not been really commercially successful but is still found in supermarkets now and then. If you are concerned, check the spelling - "o" is OK.

Broccoflower   -   [Brassica oleracea Group Botrytis??]

Is it a cauliflower or a broccoli? It's origin is uncertain so plant geneticists aren't sure. One thing is certain, it's not a cross between a cauliflower and a broccoli because the two are sexually imcompatible (see Brocciflower). The "curd" is medium green, a bit looser than regular cauliflower and it's a bit stemmier. The photo specimen was 6 inches across and weighed 1 pound 4-1/2 ounces. Without leaves and their stems it weighed 13 ounces (63% yield). Taste is considered somewhat lighter and sweeter than regular cauliflower but it's also much easier to overcook.

Cauliflower   -   [Brassica oleracea Group Botrytis]
This cabbage grows a huge cluster of flower buds that never mature. Called the "curd", this cluster may be white, lime green or orange depending on variety and how it's grown. For white varieties, leaves are tied over the curd to protect it from the sun so it will remain white and mild in flavor. The orange variety is actually a cross between a wild swamp growing mutant found in Canada and a regular white cauliflower - it has many times the vitamin A content of white cauliflower. While cauliflower curd is sterile and will never mature, a plant left to grow will eventually develop side branches with viable flowers and seed, which is how cauliflower is propegated. Cauliflower leaves are used in some cuisines, but are never available in supermarkets or even farmer's markets, at least not around here.

Purple Cauliflower   -   [Brassica oleracea Group Italica]
It looks like a cauliflower but the ISHS says it's a broccoli (see under Romanesco). In any case it's got a case of anthocyanin pigments, an antioxidant found also in red cabbage and red wine.

Romanesco Cauliflower   -   [Fractal Broccoli; Chou Romanesco (French); Broccolo romanesco, Cavolo romanesco (Italian); Pyramidenblumenkohl(German); Brassica oleracea Group Botrytis]

This flowering cabbage is a stunning example of how nature encodes large amounts of genetic information in a mathematical form called fractals. The head is a cone, made up of spirals of smaller but otherwise identical spiral cones, which are in turn made up of smaller spiral cones, ad infinitum. Actually all cauliflowers are built pretty much this way, it just isn't so clear and orderly.

Although first reported from Italy in the 16th century, acceptance of this variety has been held back by a fierce dispute as to whether it is a broccoli or a cauliflower - but now the ISHS (International Society for Horticultural Science) has declared from extensive analysis that it is Cauliflower. So there, now you can eat it, if you can afford it - but take care, it reacts very poorly to over-cooking. Steam until just tender.   Details and Cooking.

Both broccoli and cauliflower are considered highly nutritious and packed with vitamins, minerals, and a very high antioxidant content. They are considered to offer some of the most effective anti-cancer benefits known.

• A1 - Brassicaceae Genera - Wikipedia.