Should I eat that leaf?
July 31, 2008 4:19 PM Subscribe
Can you think of any godly reason why I should not eat the leaves of my cauliflower plants?
I think they’re delicious, and I suspect they’re nutritious. I leave most on the plant for doing their planty stuff and for covering the actual cauliflower head with when it starts to grow, but I like to pick some of the big leaves off and eat them. Google has offered me little except a few links that say the smaller leaves are edible. Why not the bigger?
I think they’re delicious, and I suspect they’re nutritious. I leave most on the plant for doing their planty stuff and for covering the actual cauliflower head with when it starts to grow, but I like to pick some of the big leaves off and eat them. Google has offered me little except a few links that say the smaller leaves are edible. Why not the bigger?
Here's a vote for "Yes" from another forum, and here's a recipe .
posted by contraption at 4:25 PM on July 31, 2008
posted by contraption at 4:25 PM on July 31, 2008
Don't use heinous pesticides on them and wash them. Eat up.
posted by jeff-o-matic at 4:32 PM on July 31, 2008
posted by jeff-o-matic at 4:32 PM on July 31, 2008
Just throw those babies in a nice big garden salad with some baby spinach, fancy lettuce, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, sliced Kalamata olives and - why not? - balsamic vinegar and olive oil.
posted by turgid dahlia at 4:48 PM on July 31, 2008
posted by turgid dahlia at 4:48 PM on July 31, 2008
Of course they're edible. They're basically kale. They may be coarse and strong flavoured, but their edibility is a matter of taste rather than toxicity.
I would probably cook some chopped garlic in olive oil in a saucepan, then toss in the shredded leaves with a bit of salt and lots of pepper, add a dribble of water and cover to steam for a few minutes.
posted by i_am_joe's_spleen at 5:20 PM on July 31, 2008
I would probably cook some chopped garlic in olive oil in a saucepan, then toss in the shredded leaves with a bit of salt and lots of pepper, add a dribble of water and cover to steam for a few minutes.
posted by i_am_joe's_spleen at 5:20 PM on July 31, 2008
Well, cauliflower is a different variety of the same species that includes brussel sprouts and Kale.
posted by Good Brain at 5:22 PM on July 31, 2008
posted by Good Brain at 5:22 PM on July 31, 2008
Cauliflower is a cole crop and very closely related to cabbage. As a result, you should be able to eat away without worry.
posted by onhazier at 5:24 PM on July 31, 2008
posted by onhazier at 5:24 PM on July 31, 2008
I sure hope it's OK, I've always cooked them up and eaten them either with the heads or as part of another meal.
posted by advicepig at 8:15 PM on July 31, 2008
posted by advicepig at 8:15 PM on July 31, 2008
Response by poster: Thank you all for your reassurance! I will continue to boldly consume my cauliflower leaves!
(Interesting flavor note - my white headed cauliflower plant had much milder-tasting leaves than my purple headed plant.)
posted by serazin at 8:38 PM on July 31, 2008
(Interesting flavor note - my white headed cauliflower plant had much milder-tasting leaves than my purple headed plant.)
posted by serazin at 8:38 PM on July 31, 2008
Oh goodness, I couldn't imagine a world without cauliflower!
My favourite way is to break up the whole cauliflower (the greener the leaves the better), boil in lightly salted water then mash with butter and pepper. It's almost as good as mashed potatoes.
It keeps beautifully overnight in the fridge and can be reheated in the microwave or in the oven with a knob of butter.
posted by ceri richard at 6:06 AM on August 1, 2008
My favourite way is to break up the whole cauliflower (the greener the leaves the better), boil in lightly salted water then mash with butter and pepper. It's almost as good as mashed potatoes.
It keeps beautifully overnight in the fridge and can be reheated in the microwave or in the oven with a knob of butter.
posted by ceri richard at 6:06 AM on August 1, 2008
This thread is closed to new comments.
I can highly recommend sprout tops too.
posted by Solomon at 4:25 PM on July 31, 2008