09 January 2012
Cauliflowers' various hues reflect their distinctive flavors.
At first glance, it looked like a festive floral arrangement at the
Calabasas Farmers Market. Not quite. The purple, orange, white and green
heads were actually cauliflowers.
“They look pretty unusual and people usually do a double-take,” said
Peggy Eubanks, an employee of Underwood Family Farms,
located in Moorpark and Somis.
Traditional white
“Most of the vegetables you see now, including the cauliflowers, were
just picked this morning,” said Eubanks.
A member of the cruciferous family, like broccoli and cabbage, the
cauliflower has more than 100 varieties. About half of the world’s
cauliflower is from China and a fourth is from India. The remainder is
from Spain and California.
The most common variant is the off-white or snowball cauliflower.
According to Eubanks, market goers still gravitate toward the
traditional white but the more colorful varieties are starting to gain a
following.
Hank Terrell of Given Farms was in agreement. “People get curious and
buy the colored varieties,” he said. “Then they’re back the following
week and are asking for it again.”
Broccoflower
A mixture of cauliflower and broccoli, broccoflower is still
considered more cauliflower than broccoli because of the way it looks,
except for its greenish appearance.
Since cauliflower and broccoli have so much in common, cultivators
decided to mix them using natural and hand pollinators. The result was
this combo vegetable.
"Its sweet flavor is worth a try,” Eubanks said.
Purple cauliflower
No longer considered unusual, the purple cauliflower’s country of
origin is widely believed to be either Italy or South Africa.
Its purple color comes from anthocyanins, an antioxidant group, also
found in red cabbage and red wine.
Taste-wise, Terrell classified it as “slightly nutty,” while Eubanks
called it "flat."
If overcooked, this variety will lose its purple color and turn
green.
Given Farms, based in Goleta, had an abundance of this variety priced
at $3 per pound.
Orange cauliflower
Also known as cheddar cauliflower, most growers agree that this is
probably one of the most delicious forms of cauliflower that one will
ever try. “It has a sweet and creamy taste,” said Eubanks.
In fact, many people who generally don’t like the taste of the white
cauliflower have been converted to this variety.
Discovered in Canada in the 1970s, this hybrid has since been infused
with more vitamins and nutrients than its white counterpart. The
current version of the orange cauliflower now has more antioxidants,
nutrients and vitamin A.
Buying and cooking tips
“Look for heads with firm, compact florets,” said Terrell. “If the
cauliflower is fresh, the leaves should be crisp and green.”
To retain its flavor and reduce nutrient loss, cook the cauliflower
rapidly by boiling for five minutes or steaming for eight minutes.
Overcooking makes it mushy and releases sulfurous compounds, resulting
in an unpleasant color and bitter taste.
Cauliflowers can also be roasted, fried, microwaved or eaten raw.
Another popular way to serve cauliflower is with cheese sauce. It has
also been found to be a good substitute for potatoes by people who are
on a low-carbohydrate diet.
The Calabasas Farmers Market is open from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. every
Saturday at 23504 Calabasas Rd., across the street from the Sagebrush
Cantina.
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