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    Brassicas

    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.

    mini heads of purple cauliflower

    Purple Cauliflower

    Overhead raw Purple Brussels sprout shot! The sprout are whole an you can really see all their veins and texture of the leaves.

    All Things Cooking with Purple Brussels Sprouts

    Garlicky Pasta with Cauliflower, Capers Breadcrumbs and a Mustard Brown Butter Pan Sauce

    Garlicky Pasta with Cauliflower, Capers Breadcrumbs and a Mustard Brown Butter Pan Sauce

    Yellow cauliflower tart, topped with purple and green thinly sliced cauliflower, post-oven.

    Gluten-Free Cauliflower Tart with a Garlic & Herb Almond Crust

    Vegan Purple Cauliflower Soup with Sliced Purple and Pink Radishes, tiny basil leaves, Bee Pollen and Flaky Sea Salt. Side angle shot, left side cut off, on a dark grey white/light blue background.

    Vegan Cauliflower Soup

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    Meet Daniela

    VEGGIES ARE SEXY 

    Hi, I'm Daniela - a Los Angeles based food photographer and creative director. I began my career as a chef with a passion for sourcing colorful produce from local markets. I love emphasizing the beauty of real food with my images. I’m also a food stylist and recipe developer with a gorgeous prop-filled studio in Venice, California.

    Daniela Gerson Photography

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