Romanesco

     Romanesco is a cousin of broccoli, and has a flavor and texture somewhere right in between broccoli and cauliflower. Its vibrant lime green  florets are spiral shaped, made up of spines, each with a natural fractal-- each bud is composed of a series of smaller buds. It houses many nutrients like vitamin C, K, fiber and carotene. 

      As weird as it looks it is very simple to cook. Just think of something that you can make using broccoli or cauliflower and replace it with Romanesco. The differences stem more from texture than from taste. It has many flavor similarities to cauliflower, but in terms of texture it is softer and more suited to be used in crudites.  The flavor of Romanesco is similar to cauliflower, but is a bit creamier and nuttier with less of the traditional bitter characteristics found in most greens. Without this firmer texture it is able to be plated raw.