Yard and Garden – 04-05-2014 – Ted Griess/Extension Horticulture Assistant

If you’re anything like me, perhaps you too would like to grow something on the wild side. Now that spring has officially arrived, I am more than eager to get out into the garden. For the past month, I have been bombarded with a plethora of emails from assorted mail order seed companies, all trying to sell me the latest and the greatest. I usually delete the emails as quickly as I receive them; however, one particular e-mail’s title immediately grabbed my attention. It was called Grow on the Wild Side. With such an intriguing title, I had to open the message and investigate. While there, I discovered some very interesting vegetables that definitely fit the description of being wild. Why, I’d even call them rare, exotic and most unique. They certainly were out of the norm.

I share with you one of these weird- looking oddities. I love broccoli; therefore, I just had to write about a wild vegetable called Broccoli Romanesco. As it turns out, this broccoli is actually an Italian heirloom with an extremely striking yet strange appearance. At first sight I thought of it as an alien life form rather than a vegetable. Attached is a picture of this unique vegetable.

It’s almost too beautiful to eat. If broccoli is not one of your vegetables of choice perhaps you might consider growing Romanesco as an ornamental. After all, each broccoli head is a cluster of flowers. I’ve got a hunch should you consider growing it; you could enter it in the county fair as a most unusual flower. It certainly would fit that category.

Romanesco is an edible flower. It belongs in the family brassicaceae that includes cauliflower, Brussels sprouts and cabbage. Each head is a light green spiral of cone shaped florets. These striking heads can grow to be enormous: up to four pounds and as high as two to three feet tall.

Although I have never eaten it, it is described as having a delectable mild, nutty- flavor with an earthy hint. Its texture is more akin to cauliflower than to broccoli. It can be used similar to cauliflower in recipes, and allows many different cooking methods. Romanesco can be served raw, lightly cooked, or thoroughly cooked. As a vegetable, Romanesco is rich in vitamin C, vitamin K, dietary fiber and carotenoids.

Romanesco did not always exist naturally. Many botanists believe it was the result of selective breeding by Italian farmers in the 16th century. Romanesco is well adapted for cool, northern gardens. The heads are ready to harvest in 75 to 100 days from transplant.

Now that I’ve enlightened you on this alien-looking vegetable, perhaps you too might wish to grow something on the wild side. Romanesco broccoli could be just one of those wild, unique vegetables to grow. My plans are to give it a try.