Saturday, March 29, 2014

Second Fall Division Match-up

To get to the elite eight, we have to eliminate another vegetable from our list.  Today we’ll finish up the fall division by pitting two of my personal favorites against each other.  This is going to be a tough one…..Broccoli Romanesco versus Brussels Sprouts!

On the 'Like' side, we have the unique, one-of-a kind Broccoli Romanesco.  For those of you who are intrigued by math and science, you’ll find the natural fractal pattern of this vegetable to be rather interesting.  I think it resembles a Christmas tree with it’s pointy spirals and lime-green color.  While the flavor is similar to cauliflower, it stands alone with a bit more of a “nutty” flavor, especially when roasted and topped with a little Parmesan cheese.




On the 'Share' side we have my personal favorite (at least for today), our frost-kissed Brussels Sprouts.  I know these little cabbage-like vegetables have gotten a pretty bad rap with the general public, but it’s really not their fault.  You see, they have been terribly misunderstood and far too many cooks have overcooked them thereby giving them a bad reputation.  Cooking time is key when dealing with Brussels sprouts….they are very delicate and can quickly go from sweet, crunchy & delicious to mushy and overcooked if you aren’t paying attention.  I love to pull those little balls off the stalk, cut them in half and fry them in a little butter for a short time and, in my house shred a little cheese on top.  Are you noticing the cheese theme in my house, the Wisconsin stereotype rings true for me - we love cheese!



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