Broccoli

ORGANIC BROCCOLI
Peppery sweet, rich, and heavenly. Broccoli was introduced to the United States in the 1920′s by Italian immigrants. Salinas, California, provides 90 percent of the domestic broccoli crop.

Health Benefits: Organic Broccoli contains twice the vitamin C of an orange, almost as much calcium as whole milk, and its calcium is better absorbed. Broccoli contains selenium, is a modest source of vitamin A and alpha-tocopherol vitamin E, and has value as an antioxidant.

Use: The broccoli head is actually the plant’s flower. Peel the fibrous skin of the stalks and use them, too. Use also the small leaves attached to the stem. In the cabbage family, the leafy greens (not the blossoms, as in cauliflower and broccoli) offer the most nutrients.

ORGANIC BROCCOLI RAAB (RAPINI)

Growing on slender stalks, with leafy dark greens and both green buds and yellow flowers, broccoli raab is aggressively pungent and bitter. A nonheading broccoli closely related to the turnip, it adds zest to bland dishes and can hold its own with savory ones. The Chinese variety, flowering Cabbage, is milder.

Use: Organic Broccoli Raab is at its best when the leaves are fresh and free from discoloration and when the buds are still tight or just starting to open. Stalk, leaf, and flower are used.

ORGANIC BABY BROCCOLI The baby broccoli hybrid is a cross between broccoli and Chinese kale. One of the appeals of baby broccoli is that it has a sweeter, milder taste than regular broccoli and has a similar taste profile to asparagus. Baby broccoli is also entirely edible.

ORGANIC BROCCOLINI Broccolini is a green vegetable resembling broccoli. Although often mistakenly identified as young broccoli, it is actually a natural hybrid of the cabbage family Brassica oleracea, a cross between broccoli and Chinese Kale. It is generally agreed that broccolini has a sweeter flavor than broccoli. Its generic name is baby broccoli. Nutritionally, it is high in vitamin C but also contains vitamin A, calcium, folate and iron.

from Rebecca Wood’s The New Whole Foods Encyclopedia