Did you know that you can eat cauliflower leaves? Did you know that those greens are a good source of Protein, Thiamin, Riboflavin, Niacin, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Phosphorus and Zinc, and a very good source of Dietary Fiber, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, Vitamin B6, Folate, Pantothenic Acid, Potassium and Manganese?
Heck, I didn't even know that cauliflower had leaves until they came up in the garden. Watching those leaves get larger every day got me to wondering if they were edible. I wondered about the beet leaves too. A quick Google later and I was ready to cook some up.
Sweating some onion and garlic in a bit of butter and some olive oil is often a good start. Next I added the cut-to-bite-size cauliflower leaves (2 was plenty for 3 people), some beet leaves and some kale with the stalks removed. I didn't cook the cauliflower or beet stems this time out because I was in a rush, but they are edible too.
When the leaves seemed on the verge of getting tender I added some apple and pear slices. As soon as the leaves were tender, around 5-7 minutes total over medium low heat, I served them up.
The greens had a strong umami flavor that was just wonderful. This time out I served them with some ginger mashed butternut squash and grilled pork tenderloin. I have a feeling that these greens will be a regular part of dinner.
i had not known about cauliflower greens either, good info
ReplyDeleteI like carrot greens in soups. Radish greens are great for stir fry, and we all know what to do with beet greens (hint: it involves bacon and maple syrup).
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