It's a relative of the cauliflower, and it produces a spiralling cone made up of smaller spiralling cones, which in turn are made of of smaller ... well, you get the idea. Imagine a pinecone, where each segment is a protruding mini-pinecone, composed of segments that are also mini-mini-pinecones, and you have some idea of what a romanscu looks like, up-close.
Oh, and they're a livid shade of green.
If M.C. Escher had designed a vegetable, this would be it.
You might now be tempted to track down lots of awfully pretty artsy photos of romanescu on the net. I'd advise you not to bother. Instead take a trip to your local chi-chi supermarket and buy some, for real.
I got a pair for about one pound fifty, at the local Waitrose. They're awfully cute, they're much more fun to stare at in real life than someone else's photo, and when you eventually get bored with them, you can eat them!
Steam them, or wet them, cover them and shove them in the microwave for a couple of minutes.
They taste a little like cauliflower. Cheese sauce is optional.
I think they are gorgeous - like a nutty cauliflower.
ReplyDeleteWaitrose do not have them often enough.
PD. Harrogate.