hardy, keeps well in winter, loads o' vitamins

November 14, 2018 7:11 PM

Descendants of the field mustard, call 'em cole crops, brassicas, crucifers, or one of their many, many names, "It is the cabbage which surpasses all other vegetables":
Of Cabbages and Kings.

Of Cabbages and Emperors
Of Cabbages and Celts

The rime of the ancient cabbage, the Little Cabbage Song [also?]

posted by the man of twists and turns (31 comments total)

At some point I realized that a hard majority of veggies that I consume are cruciferous, so hats off to these highly nutritious and extremely delicious vegetables.
posted by Pope Guilty at 7:21 PM on November 14, 2018 [8 favorites]

i love all these ol bastards
posted by grobstein at 8:22 PM on November 14, 2018 [5 favorites]

Where I live it often gets to below 20 Celsius in the winter, so there is very little decorative flora that survives. So to my great surprise, our downtown flower boxes have ornamental cabbages growing in them. No lie. They are the weirdest things but actually quite pretty in their way. I'm used to them now, but I thought they were pretty hilarious when I first moved here from temperate Vancouver, BC, where I swear there are like, petunias and pansies in flowerboxes all year round. Seems like it, anyway.
posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 9:21 PM on November 14, 2018 [2 favorites]

Sittin' on 25kg of homemade sauerkraut. Take that, Edmonton winter.
posted by No Robots at 9:42 PM on November 14, 2018 [7 favorites]

I just started a big ol’ vat of sauerkraut today and had roasted brussels sprouts with dinner.

I think my favorite brassica variety, conceptually at least, is Jersey Kale, AKA the Walking Stick Cabbage.
posted by murphy slaw at 9:51 PM on November 14, 2018 [3 favorites]

My deep love of kale started when I had a garden and a rabbit. The rabbit loved kale, and I discovered that not only would appropriate kale cultivars survive a northern MN winter, covered in snow and leaves, they'd actually grow slightly if you cleared them off during short warmer periods. Then in the spring they shot up as soon as the soil was remotely thawed and warm. Kale don't mess around, and it kept Fuzzy Dunlop Jefferson Jr, Esq in year-round garden veggie treats.
posted by neonrev at 10:37 PM on November 14, 2018 [6 favorites]

And their glorious promiscuity is still generating new forms of crucifer. Kalettes! So cute!
posted by clew at 10:47 PM on November 14, 2018

Romanesco Broccoli is trippy af. Honestly first time I saw a picture of them I thought it was shopped. That is all.
posted by juv3nal at 10:56 PM on November 14, 2018 [5 favorites]

My favorite brassica is kohlrabi. Not for the white fibrous globes, which I consider to be useless, but the stalks and leaves, which are delicious. Come to think of it, I'm mostly after turnips for the greens, too.
posted by 1adam12 at 11:10 PM on November 14, 2018

and o'course stamps
posted by clew at 11:24 PM on November 14, 2018 [4 favorites]

I love me a turnip. Easy to grow too. Hmmm. I have that empty bed and some seeds...
posted by Homo neanderthalensis at 11:56 PM on November 14, 2018

As my friends periodically remind me when we sit down for dinner together, I once exclaimed, with great seriousness but no context, upon setting some dish upon the table:

"Brassica. King of leafy greens."

They think it's hilarious. I think it's a very astute observation, and stand by it.

Brassica: the king of leafy greens.
posted by Dysk at 12:54 AM on November 15, 2018 [10 favorites]

Seriously, Romanesco needs to get way more mainstream. Why would I ever eat normal broccoli when I could be eating fractal broccoli? Come on, broccoli farmers.
posted by Anticipation Of A New Lover's Arrival, The at 3:19 AM on November 15, 2018 [9 favorites]

Yesssssss, this subject is right up my alley. Brassicas are the best of all vegetables, and they lend themselves so well to just about everything. Tonight I'm making my (invented by me, I think) béchamel, ricotta, and turnip greens lasagne, and it is AMAZING. And I'd rather eat a roasted brussels sprout with a smidge of mustard or balsamic vinegar than just about any other food. And don't get me started on Ina Garten's roasted broccoli with lemon and parmesan that has made broccoli converts out of my husband and my five-year-old. I had some of it leftover for lunch today with a piece of foccacia and it was *kisses fingertips*

If I was forced to choose, I'd give up all sweets, cakes, chocolates, fruit, ICE CREAM, meat, and even garden tomatoes in July before I'd give up brassicas.
posted by lollymccatburglar at 4:58 AM on November 15, 2018 [7 favorites]

I eat and mostly enjoy all of these (least so kale) but I actually have kind of a hard time eating the fractal broccolli -- it squicks me out some.
posted by hearthpig at 5:39 AM on November 15, 2018

Did we get as far as mentioning Brussels Sprouts flavour crisps yet?
posted by ambrosen at 5:51 AM on November 15, 2018 [1 favorite]

We have roasted brussels sprouts weekly.
Also, I love sauteed kale with onion and garlic. Done well, it tastes like blood (in a good way!).
posted by Chrischris at 6:04 AM on November 15, 2018 [1 favorite]

Ornamental cabbage is a thing in DC too, and it doesn't even get that cold here.

I LOVE it, although I'm always curious how edible it is.
posted by aspersioncast at 7:23 AM on November 15, 2018

Good old cabbage greens.
posted by No Robots at 7:57 AM on November 15, 2018

Brassica fan.
posted by infini at 8:30 AM on November 15, 2018

I grew up eating boiled broccoli and boiled cabbage, and had no idea that cabbage could be awesome until I was well into my 30s. Now I buy cabbage (red and green) nearly every week and make salads/slaws that can be dressed and last for days. And Brussel sprouts, which are now my appetizer of choice at nearly every happy hour.

Can you imagine 20 years ago any bar serving Brussels sprouts? The mind reels.
posted by suelac at 9:15 AM on November 15, 2018

Not for the white fibrous globes

Fibrous?

In my book, gai lan is the top crucifer.
posted by kenko at 11:51 AM on November 15, 2018

The eidolon link is great.
posted by kenko at 11:59 AM on November 15, 2018

"Brassica. King of leafy greens."

With Chicory it's Queen! (Escarole, Endive, Belgian Endive, Frisée)
posted by leotrotsky at 12:10 PM on November 15, 2018 [2 favorites]

How come no one has talked about the interaction of brassicae with the world historical perspecti...faaaaaaaaaaaasaarrtttttt

Everyone flees room

Sorry where was I? Hello? Anyone?
posted by lalochezia at 3:32 PM on November 15, 2018 [1 favorite]

When I saw the post title, I assumed it was about Terry Turnip
posted by ckape at 3:46 PM on November 15, 2018

When I was a kid brussels sprouts were the grossest things ever, bitter and mushy, so I avoided them for decades. But 10 or 15 years ago a comment I saw somewhere online (might even have been here) introduced me to the idea of roasted brussels sprouts, which turned out to be delightful and I make them all the time.

Still not a big kale fan now anymore than I was as a kid, but I've always liked broccoli and cabbage.
posted by Dip Flash at 6:24 PM on November 15, 2018

I did have a moment where I found myself thinking, "Wait, why did I hate broccoli?" Then later I had some steamed broccoli for the first time in a while and went, "Oh, right."
posted by ckape at 7:59 PM on November 15, 2018

Definitely had the thing as a kid where brussels sprouts were always cast as gross in books and movies and such. My ways have changed, though, and now I love all cruciferous vegetables. Brussels are perfect in a light chopped salad with oil or roasted, broccoli is great fresh or roasted or in a soup, gai lan is great boiled with oyster sauce...
posted by Brassica oleracea at 7:08 AM on November 16, 2018 [1 favorite]

Cabbage is amazing. I've been saying for years that it will be the next "superfood", but somehow it keeps getting overlooked. It's cheap, versatile, delicious, nutritious and super easy to work with. Truly a king of vegetables.
posted by mosessis at 5:45 AM on November 18, 2018 [1 favorite]

I love me some brassicas and always have. I was the rare kid whose favourite food and regular request for birthday dinners was cabbage rolls and who would gladly eat up broccoli and cauliflower from a fairly young age.

The one outlier was that I didn't like Brussels sprouts growing up, but it turned out that that was because my family did them a grave injustice by boiling or steaming them into mush. I have since repented for those misguided ways and now my mom only roasts hers and EVERYONE eats them up.

My mouth is now watering but luckily I'm having Brussels sprouts with dinner tonight and am making a broccoli soup for lunches this week.
posted by urbanlenny at 1:36 PM on November 19, 2018