So, I’m back from Maine and we’re back to our normal programming, though wherever we are, it’s still all about food…

When I first heard of broccolini, I thought maybe it was baby broccoli. It is sometimes called that though it’s not actually a younger stage of common broccoli. Before I give away the parentage of broccolini (which I promise I will), let’s let it stand on it’s own. I loved it at first taste and did not know what it was other than what it looked like. I can see why many would think it’s baby broccoli since the tops tastes a lot like broccoli only it’s just little clusters of tender florets. But, the stems are slim and long.

broccolini yellow

The stems of the broccolini seem sweeter and have a little more moisture, generally more tender than those of regular broccoli. I’ve tried to get more people into eating broccoli stems, but they taste like kohlrabi and some like that and some don’t. I was so happy to find out that broccolini is actually a cross between broccoli and gai-lan/kai-lan ( aka Chinese broccoli). Makes sense. Love broccoli + love Chinese broccoli = love broccolini! Particularly, I love Chinese broccoli stems so you get the best part from both of these veggies.

You can use broccolini in almost any recipe you’d use broccoli in or gai-lan in, but I feel like it’s a shame to cut them up. They’re long and elegant, making a beautiful presentation whole. Simply roast them with a little olive oil, sliced garlic, and sea salt. They are a fantastic side on any plate.

broccolini with garlic and olive oil 2

Like most vegetables, I like to cook them just to al dente. They will be bright green and still retain a nice snap, especially in the stems. It’s always better in terms of retaining the nutrients anyway.

Three Broccolini 9

posted by jessica at 12:45 PM Filed under Basics, Un-Recipes. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.