Mark Bittman, in a piece on his blog a couple of years ago, called romanesco "broccoli from another planet." I've always loved that description because it describes how this bizarre vegetable looks in a way that you wouldn't get unless you've seen it. Frankly, looking at a picture is almost unbelievable. THIS is a vegetable?! I read that it's sometimes referred to as "coral broccoli," which I also can easily understand. So maybe it's from another planet or perhaps from the ocean depths, but this broccoli/cauliflower relative is definitely delicious.
It really is like a cross between cauliflower and broccoli in flavor and texture - I find sometimes it tastes a little more broccoli-y and sometimes more cauliflowery, depending on the particular head. You break it up into florets and steam or roast it like you might broccoli. It has a mild, sweet flavor and goes well with almost anything. We always buy ours at the farmers market, but I've also seen them at specialty grocery stores. We get romanesco fairly often, so the look doesn't phase me in the least anymore. Perhaps I should serve it to unsuspecting guests at my next dinner party and see how they react to a vegetable out of a Dr. Seuss book.
omg, that romanesco is CRAZY looking. And of course now I will not rest until I've had it :)
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