romanesco cauliflower with breadcrumbs

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cauliflower broccoli parsley basil oregano romanesco tarragon

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Romanesco cauliflower is an SAFM favorite. This incredible neon green, fractal-patterned vegetable is a variant of cauliflower, but with a texture and flavor that many people prefer. You can use it any way you’d use either broccoli or cauliflower: steam it, roast it, saute it, or eat it raw. It’s also super easy to process for freezing (just cut it into piece, drop it in boiling water for a minute, dry, cool, and freeze!) and keeps great throughout the winter.

Steaming is usually the fastest and easiest way to cook up a head of Romanesco. Toss steamed florets with some olive oil, butter, salt, and pepper for a quick and easy side dish. Or for a little extra flavor (and hardly any extra work) try this recipe!

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1 head cauliflower
2 tablespoons butter or olive oil
1/2 cup bread crumbs (unseasoned if using herbs, Italian Seasoned if not)
fresh or dried herbs (basil, parsley, oregano, tarragon)
salt
pepper

Cut the florets from the cauliflower stem, then dice the stem into slightly smaller pieces and place everything into a steamer basket. Steam over boiling water for 5-8 minutes, until the cauliflower is tender but not mushy. Brown the breadcrumbs in a large pan with the butter or olive oil over medium heat. Add the steamed cauliflower and stir until well coated. Season with salt, pepper, and herbs to taste.