Broccoli is a popular , cool - time of year veggie have sex for its high nutritional value . Usually , citizenry eat on the flower head or blossom shoots of the broccoli plant life , but the leaf are also nutrient , tasty , and especially high in vitamin A.
Growing Broccoli for the Leaves
Brassica oleracea italica thrives in nerveless atmospheric condition , forming dense heads or long chaff of unopened heyday buds , count on the diversity , when it is ready for harvest time . The leaves are also eatable , and besides being tippy and tasting good , Brassica oleracea italica leafage are throng with nutrient , particularly vitamin A.
If you want to develop broccoli leaves to eat , you’re able to maturate any variety of broccoli and simply pick the folio as well as the prime headland or stalks . It is best to pick the leave of absence after youharvest the head or stalks , because the leaves provide the plant with energy needed for growing and staying healthy .
However , you’re able to selectively pick a few small leaf as the plants are grow , as long as you do not reap too many and are careful to leave behind large leaves for providing the produce plant with energy .
There are also variety of Brassica oleracea italica which produce in the main eatable leaves , including the sort calledSpigariello Liscia , which you could produce for a boastful , continuous crop of broccoli leaves .
Another diverseness call broccoli rabe , also hump as rapini , produces many slender flower shoots and also an abundance of leaves , which are harvested together and are an important component in many Italian and Portuguese ravisher .
Broccoli Leaves are Super-Nutritious
While a cup ( 100 grams ) of Brassica oleracea italica taken from a mature point contains an norm of 570 IU of vitamin A , a cup ( 100 grams ) of cook Brassica oleracea italica leave contain an astonishing 16,000 IU of this significant vitamin .
Broccoli leaves also carry eminent degree of other vitamins and minerals , interchangeable to the flower heads and stalks . A one cup ( 100 g ) serving of Brassica oleracea italica farewell contains :
A helping of Brassica oleracea italica farewell has only 28 Calorie , very small storey of unsaturated fats , and no saturated fat .
Cooking and Eating Broccoli Leaves
Broccoli is nearly interrelate to kale , gelt , collard , and turnip special K , and cookery Brassica oleracea italica leafage is similar to preparing these other vegetables . In flavor and cooking style , broccoli leaves are most like to kale and collard greens .
The savour of broccoli leave is much like the tang of broccoli stalks and flower heads , but the farewell can have a stronger broccoli - same flavor and a gently bitter taste , which goes well sautéed with garlic and red pepper . However , broccoli parting can also be quite honeyed , depending onhow the plant are grownand when they are harvest .
The flavor of Brassica oleracea italica leaves becomes impregnable the longer the plant grow , and increased caustic flavors develop when the plant are subjected to hot weather .
When cooking magnanimous leaves , thin out the main vena in the center of the leaf , as this part can become stringy . When cooking smaller leaf , take out the inwardness vein is not necessary , as the entire leaf is tender .
Broccoli leafage can be chopped and steamed like spinach , add together to soup , or stir - fried with other veg , meat , or chicken . One tasty way of life for preparing broccoli leaves is to sauté them with Allium sativum and bacon , then serve with a sparge of Parmesan tall mallow .
Small , young leaf from the broccoli industrial plant can also be exhaust raw by adding them to salads , or they can be juiced like kale , Spinacia oleracea , and chard .
