Spring is on its way (isn’t it?). I can’t wait for spring to be here with all the green foods that the season brings, and I am positive I am not the only one. One of our favorite spring foods is broccoli, (it’s even the header for my blog) though I am sure my mother had as much trouble as any other mother did trying to get her children to eat it.
Today we’re learning a little bit more about this cruciferous vegetable and why mom’s want their children to eat up.
Broccoli is in the cabbage family, and is related to cauliflower, kale, arugula, collard greens, bak choy, kohlrabi, brussel sprouts and kai lan or chinese broccoli.
Broccoli is a cool season crop and is harvested in the spring and fall into the winter.
Broccoli varieties are typically green but can also be yellowish green and purple.
“Roman Emperor Tiberius, 14 BCE to 37 BCE, had a son named Drusius who took his love of broccoli to excess. Excluding all other foods, he gorged on broccoli prepared in the Apician manner for an entire month. When his urine turned bright green and his father scolded him severely for ‘living precariously,’ Drusius finally abandoned his beloved broccoli.” [source]
Broccoli is high in vitamin c, potassium, carotenoids, rich in calcium, fiber and folate, is a great detoxifier, benefits the skin, heart, eye health, boosts immunity, betters bone health, and there is quite a large amount of research connecting broccoli to reducing the risk of certain cancers. The list of benefits goes on.
Broccoli can be eaten raw, steamed, boiled, baked, however you like it.
Broccoli leaves can be used like cabbage or kale, we like to remove the stem, chop the leaves and steam them with other vegetables, or use them raw as the outer shell for a veggie wrap like you would use a tortilla (a tip I got from a fellow CSA member.)
Next week I will be sharing a recipe for a raw broccoli salad using an avocado dressing, be sure to come back! And don’t forget to eat your broccoli.
