Organic Broccoli

Broccoli has abundant fleshy green flower heads arranged in a tree-like fashion on branches sprouting from a thick, edible stalk. The large mass of flower heads is surrounded by leaves. Broccoli takes a lot of nutrients from the soil, especially nitrogen compounds. Organic grown broccoli taste good because organic soil provides broccoli with all the major and minor elements that it needs. These are good varieties of broccoli:

• De Cicco
• Italian Green Sprouting (aka 'Calabrese')
• Purple Sprouting
• Early Purple Cape
• Green Comet

What to look for?

• The buds of the florets should be tight, a lively dark green, unseparated, and without open yellow flowers.
• The cut stem should look fresh and not dried out.
• The plant should be turgid.

Storage and preparation tip:

• Store the broccoli, unwashed, in loose or perforated plastic bags in the crisper.
• Wet broccoli quickly becomes limp and moldy in the refrigerator. So wash broccoli just before using it.
• Keep the broccoli think stems as they are full of nutrients. Peel their tough outer ski using a vegetable peeler and then slice them lengthwise into 1/4- or 1/2 inch strips.

Cooking with Broccoli:

Broccoli is almost always steamed. It can also be boiled. It has a sweet flavor and its flavor can be enhanced by garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, anchovies or cheese.

Broccoli Nutrition Facts:

Broccoli is high in fiber, antioxidant vitamins beta-carotene and vitamin C, which help against heart disease. It is also rich in folate. Broccoli also contains a group of cancer-fighting agents.