The New "It" Veggies. Have you tried any?

[orangeblossom]

www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/02/02/popular-vegetables_n_6557702.html?ncid=fcbklnkushpmg00000063


Kale Sprouts


What they are: A mash-up of kale and brussels sprouts, also known as lollipop kale.



The backstory: A UK seed company developed the hybrid, calling it Flower Sprouts a few years ago, and it's since entered the American market, with one farm nicknaming the sprouts "lollipops." They're high in vitamins B6 and C.



How to eat them: Sautéed, steamed or stir-fried; they're also great in pesto (blanch them first in boiling salted water, then blend with basil, garlic and olive oil).


BroccoLeaf


What they are: The leaves of the broccoli plant.



The backstory: The leaves from the broccoli plant are usually plucked off and discarded, but it turns out that they're actually sweet-tasting, with a sugar-snap-pea-like flavor, and are an excellent source of calcium, folate, vitamin C and the other vitamins and minerals you typically find in broccoli.



How to eat them: Sautéed, pureed in a smoothie or raw and chopped in a salad.


Rooster Potatoes


What they are: Larger than new potatoes but smaller than Idaho, they're spuds with pink skins that turn golden brown when baked and crisp up better than any potato we've ever tried, with a light-yellow, fluffy inside.



The backstory: Like kale sprouts, Roosters got their start in Britain; one of the country's potato-farming families found that people loved the spud's nutty, buttery taste so much, they brought them to the U.S.



How to eat them: Roasted, mashed or even grilled (slice them into rounds; coat with oil, salt and pepper; grill 5 minutes per side).


Rainbow Carrots


What they are: Multi-colored carrots that come in purple, red, yellow and white.



The backstory: Geneticists have been working on Skittles-toned root vegetables for years now, but they're only just becoming popular. Anthocyanin, beta- and alpha-carotene pigments are responsible for purple carrots; lycopene (found in tomatoes) and beta-carotene make them red; xanthophylls and lutein are what turns them yellow; and, high fiber is what makes them white.



How to eat them: Raw is best (as dippers or shredded in salads), since the color fades when you cook them.


Broccoflower


What it is: A cross between broccoli and cauliflower.



The backstory: Broccoflower started in Italy; a California farm now cultivates so much that it's transitioned from greenmarkets to supermarkets. The heads can range in color from lime green to yellowish green, and the taste is more cauliflower than broccoli -- but less crisp and dense than traditional (white) cauliflower. It has more vitamin C than oranges and more vitamin A than either broccoli or cauliflower.



How to eat it: However you like to eat cauliflower or broccoli. As with those veggies, keep in mind that the flavor is stronger when raw and milder when cooked.

[tacokick]

All of them! Just had broccoli leaf for the first time a week or so ago.

[chw57]

Just rainbow carrots. I love them, especially the purple-outside/yellow-inside ones

[pixy0stix]

I've had many different colors of carrots before.

[orangeblossom]

Feb 3, 2015 10:12:31 GMT -5 tacokick said:

All of them! Just had broccoli leaf for the first time a week or so ago.

Which one did you like the best?

[gardengal]

The only thing I haven't had is those potatoes. But, really, the kale lollipops are the kale seedlings I thin, the broc leaves are just making the most of $$$$ FM broc, & I've grown my own multi-colored carrots several times (note: the color is typically only skin deep. I once made pickles w/ unpeeled purple carrots & the skin dyed the brine which was...weird.)

[pt716]

I've had broccoli leaves and colored carrots. My broccoli didn't make heads so I just ate it's leaves.

[pt716]

Feb 3, 2015 10:14:47 GMT -5 gardengal said:

 I've grown my own multi-colored carrots several times (note: the color is typically only skin deep. I once made pickles w/ unpeeled purple carrots & the skin dyed the brine which was...weird.)

I grew carrots that were deep purple all the way through last year. They looked cool, but I couldn't cook them with anything because they would dye everything an weird greyish-purple color.

[rupertpenny]

I haven't tried any besides rainbow carrots and broccoflower. I do always cook whatever leaves are left on my broccoli stems though. When I'm feeling ambitious I save the stems and use those too.

[gardengal]

Feb 3, 2015 10:19:34 GMT -5 pt716 said:

Feb 3, 2015 10:14:47 GMT -5 gardengal said:

 I've grown my own multi-colored carrots several times (note: the color is typically only skin deep. I once made pickles w/ unpeeled purple carrots & the skin dyed the brine which was...weird.)

I grew carrots that were deep purple all the way through last year. They looked cool, but I couldn't cook them with anything because they would dye everything an weird greyish-purple color.

Yes! It feels like it's a vegetable better in theory than practice...

[Velar Fricative]

I have not tried any. I might try the potatoes and Skittle carrots.

And lollipop kale doesn't make gross kale sound any more enticing to me.

[stoneorwatson]

aren't white carrots just parsnips?

[gardengal]

Feb 3, 2015 10:26:20 GMT -5 stoneorwatson said:

aren't white carrots just parsnips?

No. These white carrots taste like carrots, not parsnips (which have a distinctive nutty flavor)

[pt716]

Feb 3, 2015 10:26:20 GMT -5 stoneorwatson said:

aren't white carrots just parsnips?

No, parsnips are related to carrots, but they are a different plant.

[stoneorwatson]

gotcha, gardengal and pt716

thanks for the clarification(s)!

[lauralala]

I have not had any of those. I would try the potatoes and carrots if I saw them in the store. The others do not appeal to me at all.

[cattledogkisses]

Rainbow carrots.

I made mashed potatoes out of purple potatoes once and that was interesting.

[cohmom]

We tried the rainbow carrots, they are pretty!

[downtoearth]

I have used purple and pale yellow carrots before, but I thought they were heirloom and not "skittles" carrots. I've also have broccoflower, but I prefer broccoli and cauliflower separate. The broccoleaf I had at a friend's house and it was pretty good - very buttery the way she served it, so I liked it.

I haven't seen the kale sprouts or the potatoes.

[litebright]

They occasionally have baby rainbow carrots at my local Kroger chain. They're tasty and I like them roasted.

I'm really curious about the lollipop kale.

[chedifuen]

I've tried them all except the kale one. They're all good, the rainbow carrots make for the prettiest crudités! Broccoli leaves make excellent "chips"

[mmmomof2]

Kale Sprouts are delicious. They have them at our costco now except they are called kalettes. Of course like most veggies, by themselves they taste like dirt, they need oil and salt to taste good!

[suzyp]

Broccoflower has been around forever. Wegmans was selling it in the mid-90s when I was in high school.

[meshaliuknits]

Feb 3, 2015 10:43:56 GMT -5 cattledogkisses said:

Rainbow carrots.

I made mashed potatoes out of purple potatoes once and that was interesting.

We did that once. Stuck to roasting them after that. lol

I've had all of those except the tiny kale and maybe the potatoes. They've all shown up in our CSA box at some point. I don't pay that close attention to potatoes that show up beyond sweet or not.

[tacokick]

Feb 3, 2015 10:13:53 GMT -5 orangeblossom said:

Feb 3, 2015 10:12:31 GMT -5 tacokick said:

All of them! Just had broccoli leaf for the first time a week or so ago.

Which one did you like the best?

Broccoli leaf! It was really tasty and tender.

[AJL]

I've eaten all of those. Yum!

[Deleted]

I really wish sunchokes would become more of a thing. I love those.

[ChillyMcFreeze]

I'm glad I'm not the only one who tried mashing purple potatoes. So unappetizing.

I would try any of these. You really can't go wrong roasting most vegetables.

[msmerymac]

I've had brocciflower and I just had rainbow carrots in my fridge last week. Trader Joes!

[meshaliuknits]

Feb 3, 2015 11:45:22 GMT -5 @silver said:

I really wish sunchokes would become more of a thing. I love those.

We had those for the first time a couple of weeks back. Pretty good.