As a result, the lean section is set to grow, as the demand for new and unique fruits and vegetables continues to grow. Many supermarkets have seen an influx of exotic or previously unheard of fruits and vegetables, as the popularity of such items rises with the changing way of the food market, and the advent of culinary delights shows that many new ingredients and foods are being consumed.
One such vegetable that now appears in several incarnations is cauliflower. No longer content with the simple green stalks and tiny pods of this versatile vegetable, consumers are now eagerly grabbing kale. hybrids and other vegetables that are called cauliflower, but the actual cauliflower, such as cabbage rabe, has little to do with the matter.
Broccoli Rabe
Cabbage goes by many names, cabbage raab, rapini and broccoli, but it is commonly called cabbage rabe and is now found in most markets and in many restaurants across the country. Often featured in Southern Italian cuisine for some time, its popularity in the United States seems to have migrated almost overnight.
Broccoli Rabe looks like a cabbage or cabbage, with small broccoli florets mixed within a mass of leaves, all of which are on top stems that are typically discarded, unlike broccoli stems, which are usually never removed before consumption.
Broccoli Rabe can tend to be quite bitter, and is usually blanched in the cooking water, added before preparation, to remove some of the bitterness. It is more and more common to serve the cabbage rabe after a pale punch, then saute it with garlic and oil and red pepper. I also sometimes use white wine for cooking and for more subtle reasons or added flavors. Many restaurants have taken to serving it with pasta dishes.
Broccoli Rabe is rich in phytochemicals that fight against cancer, and also contains large amounts of Vitamin C, A, K and potassium.
Broccolini
Broccolini is a hybrid of broccoli, appearing like small plates of broccoli sitting on tall, thin stems. Broccolini is a cross between broccoli and Chinese cabbage, but looks similar to asparagus, and is often packaged in the same way.
Broccolini can be cooked and consumed in any number of ways, versatile and tasty, much like kale, and also rich in many vitamins, including A, C, calcium, potassium and iron. Like cauliflower, the stems of cauliflower can also be consumed, and so chefs often use cauliflower instead of cauliflower to make it more palatable in a dinner plate.
Broccoli
Not as common in the market as broccoli rabe or broccolini, broccoflower looks like a cross between cauliflower and cabbage. At first glance, it seems that someone has died of a green head of cabbage. There are also two types of cauliflower, neither of which are hybrids. The exact origins of both things have yet to be determined, as well as those which must belong to the vegetable family; Cauliflower or cauliflower? Inconveniently, the cabbage will turn white if not harvested, and will appear almost identical to the cauliflower, except under close inspection.
However, broccoflower can be cooked in many ways, much like its cauliflower or cauliflower counterparts, and is a rich source of vitamin C.
Broccoflower can often be confused with brocciflower, which is really a hybrid of broccoli and cauliflower. Brocciflorus is more easily distinguished from broccoflorus, as the head of green leafy vegetables cabbage sprouts from the projection of the broccoli-flora.
