I heart Brassicae

I would now like to expound on my current love affair with the Brassicae family of vegetables. Many (including Mr. Seasonality) loathe these fair tasties, through no fault of their own. These are not the easiest of the vegetable kingdom to love. Not like, say, a vine ripened Purple Cherokee tomato, or even Rosa Bianca eggplant which are seductively showy with their shiny come-hither skin and fruity, juicy tastes that explode summeriness into your eager mouth. No, Brassicae take some effort to love. But, as a recent convert, I can say with utter surity that it is well worth the effort.

The Brassicae family is also known as the cabbage or Cruciferae family, but are actually all related to mustards. They are so named because their leaves on the flowering stem form a cross- crus. This family includes broccoli, kale, cabbage, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, turnips, rutebegas, kohlrabi and probably others that I've never tasted. Ok, I haven't tried kohlrabi yet, but I will. When I get the guts to taste something that looks like a baseball wrapped in a dirty sock. But I used to hate Brussels sprouts with a passion usually reserved for one's nemesis(es) and now they have become my favorite veggie. What happened? Bacon happened. I am now not only convinced of the magic powers of bacon to transform anything into savory deliciousness, but my eyes have been opened to the joys of cabbages.

Cruciferae are some of the most healthy veggies one could ask for on a plate. They have significant quantities of vitamin C, vitamin K, folic acid, calcium, vitamin A (especially kale, which boasts a whopping 5963 IU per cup!). And the all important substance- fiber. More about that another time. The really neat thing about these veggies is that they are being studied for their anti-cancer qualities. The phytochemicals that turn them pretty colors are also the ones that make them anti-oxidants, which means they chase the big bad free-radicals out of your body. These guys may also help the body metabolize estrogens, which may help to prevent breast cancer. No proof yet though, so for now I'm eating 'em 'cause I likes 'em.

Note that if you have thyroid issues, you may want to limit your intake of cruciferous veggies as they have an enzyme which inhibits iodine from binding to thyroid hormone. From what I've read this only happens at high intake and if not cooked well (they say under 30 minutes). Because these veggies do have a nice vitamin K content, if you have clotting factor problems or are on coumadin, these guys are off limits for you, sorry.

You don't need bacon to unlock the delights of the cruciferous veggies (though it really only makes things that much better), just something to balance their strong, bold, often sulfuric flavor. Here are my suggestions that have become standbys for me in recent weeks. I will add recipes as I can. If you have one that you would really, really like to try now, let me know and I'll post the recipe as soon as I can.

Savoy cabbage braised with leeks and fennel and tossed in Meyer lemon tarragon butter

Sweet and sour red cabbage with lentils

Cauliflower curry soup with red lentils

Cauliflower and brussels sprouts with lemony mustard caper sauce

Brussels sprouts browned in butter with orange honey glaze

Brussels sprouts browned in butter with gorgonzola

or with bacon and a squeeze of lemon (the dish that turned me)

Braised kale with white beans and pasta (gluten-free in my case)