Key Ingredient
It sort of looks like broccoli with its floret-like head. KEY INGREDIENT: BROCCOLINI
Yet, it sports a long, slender stem similar to asparagus. It is said to be more flavorful and pleasantly sweeter than broccoli, and if cooked properly, yields an appetizing, crunchy texture.
This new vegetable is known as broccolini, baby broccoli or Asparation.
It's been around for a couple of years, but is finally making its way out of specialty food stores and into supermarkets.
The basics: Broccolini is a hybrid, a cross between broccoli and Chinese kale or Gai Lan. It was developed by the Sakata Seed Co. of America in Morgan Hill, Calif., and took about eight years to perfect. Like broccoli, broccolini is high in vitamin C and folate. It is also a good source of vitamin A and B, potassium, iron and calcium.
Broccolini is grown much like broccoli and requires similar climate and growing cycles, which should allow for a year-round crop. Prices have been high because the plant requires hand cultivation to foster new shoots and harvesting is labor-intensive.
Selecting: Broccolini is sold in small bunches. Look for bright green, shiny stalks and full, flowering buds. Avoid wilted or dried-out bunches -- a clear sign of age.
Storing: Refrigerate broccolini covered, up to one week.
Use: Broccolini is completely edible from flower to stem and is less fibrous than broccoli or asparagus. It is a very versatile vegetable perfectly suited to a number of preparations. Wash and cut off any dried-out portion.
No additional peeling is necessary. Use whole for blanching, steaming or grilling (wrap heads in foil to prevent charring), or chop into pieces for stir-frying and sautéing. In any case, the secret is not to overcook broccolini. It is best enjoyed al dente -- "to the tooth."
Where to buy: Broccolini is quite expensive compared to broccoli at about $3.99 a bunch. The bunches are generally small, about 112 servings, and can be found at most supermarkets or specialty food stores.
Food Stuffs: Morsels
Contact Eleanor Nakama-Mitsunaga
online at features@starbulletin.com
Asterisk (*) after nutritional analyses
indicates calculations by
Joannie Dobbs of Exploring New Concepts,
a nutritional consulting firm.
