Fun Foods to Grow in the Garden: Romanesco Broccoli
This year we are adding more edibles to our landscape. I am excited about this one. Not only does my family love broccoli, this has got to be the one of the most beautiful plants I have ever seen.
This variety of broccoli has been grown in Italy since the 1600s. As far as flavor goes it is milder than cauliflower, but still has a distinct broccoli taste. It is perfect for crudites, salads and for lightly steaming or grilling. You'll want to be careful to not cook it too much or the texture becomes a little unpleasant.
In our edible landscape, we are using companion planting to not only add interest and beauty, but for all of the benefits of natural pest control. Some plants even help others grow. The Romanesco will be planted along a pathway on our side yard, and interplanted with a number of companion plants that will protect it from cabbage moths and other pests. All of the companions will be edible as well.
Broccoli is a cool weather crop. It gets very warm where I live, so it has to get in early. I will be growing the Veronica Romanesco variety which will be ready to harvest in about 77 days. According to John Scheeper's Kitchen Garden Seeds, this is a prolific producer. It is best harvested when the heads are young and tender. I'm looking forward to plenty of fresh broccoli and enough to freeze for later use. If this variety is like other broccoli I've grown in the past, it will keep producing shoots as the heads are harvested. These little shoots are usually very tender and perfect for salads.
Happy Gardening!
Read more about Romanesco Broccoli and its companion plants at Grow Some Fun in The Vegetable Garden: Weird and Wacky Romanesco Broccoli.
