I can’t help thinking of Linda Fiorentino, the enticing bad-girl star of countless crime thrillers.
But it’s not Fiorentino; it’s Florentino, a recent—and very promising—addition to the produce panoply. It’s a cauliflower hybrid with long green stems that culminate in what resemble tiny cauliflower florets. The stems are eaten, meaning that except for some trimming on the stalk ends, the vegetable is completely edible.
Ippolito International in Salinas, CA BB #:168911, has been growing it for the past few months and is marketing it in banded bunches under the Queen Victoria label. The bunches are shipped in 18-count boxes. The vegetable’s origin is Spain, and its registered trade name comes from the Spanish word for “flowering.”
Furthermore, the Ippolito sell sheet notes, “Its open-ended flower structure means that the buds are highly bruise-resistant.”
The people at Ippolito were kind enough to send me a good-sized sample, which arrived at my house last Wednesday.
That evening, my wife, Nicole, served Florentino to accompany an entrée of lake trout fillet. She used a method like one shared by Ippolito’s Lara Grossman: “Wash the stalks and trim the ends. Using a sheet pan, place the stalks in one layer, and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt, and place in 375 degree oven for about 15-20 minutes. When the Florentino is crisp, but able to be gently cut, it is done.”
Another serving suggestion from Lara: “Wash Florentino stalks gently, and trim the ends. Sauté with a tablespoon or two of olive oil on the stove top until tender. Add a bit of salt, and you’ve got the original recipe for Florentino. Alternatively, try riffing with lemon juice, garlic, chili flakes, parmesan cheese.”
More elaborate versions: a pan-roasted Greek-style recipe with feta, and a roasted version featuring chile and lime.
On Thursday Nicole put Florentino into a dish called twenty-minute Mediterranean pesto chicken. (The twenty-minute part only applies if your au pair chops all the vegetables for you—a feature lacking in our house.)
Saturday, Nicole adapted a recipe for cauliflower soup: she roasted some Florentino and pureed it (pictured).
My personal verdict the first evening: “I think it’s going to be a hit.” Nicole and I agreed that we prefer it to broccoli and cauliflower.
Of my two sons, Robert would not try it: he avoids most vegetables, with certain exceptions such as cucumbers. William said: “It was good!”
Whether or not the American populace will agree remains to be seen. But in my opinion, Florentino is one of the most exciting recent additions to the crowded produce marketplace.
