Brassicas: Broccoli, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Kale & More

If you’re cooking a veggie from the farmers market from the fall to the winter months, there’s a damn good chance it’s a Brassica.

Brassi-what?!

It’s the group of cruciferous veggies that are all part of the mustard family and include: broccoli, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, cabbage, turnips, collards, kale, bok choy, kohlrabi, broccoli rabe (rapini), Napa/Chinese cabbage, Tatsoi (“spoon mustard”), mizuna, daikon and wasabi. Whoa what a list!!!

Raw, a lot of these veggies have a slightly bitter undertone but cooking them brings out a wonderfully pleasant mild sweetness.

I’m talking about roasting them on high heat, so their natural sugars caramelize and concentrate their flavor. Not boiling your brussels sprouts until they’re mush. No mushy brassicas around here!

I’ve met many-a-folks that ‘think’ they don’t like a certain brassica and that’s just cause they’ve never had them cooked correctly!

Literally any veggie in this cruciferous group can simply be roasted on high heat (450 F-ish) with olive oil, salt and pepper, until their sugars caramelize for a wonderfully delicious side.

Most importantly… did ya know that a lot of brassicas come in purple?

Season: Brassicas shine in the fall and early winter; some varieties are available year round.

Prep: raw, blanch, steam, sauté, boil, roast, grill.