People often ask what my favorite vegetable is. That's a complicated question. To grow, to pick, to eat?Also, do I have to have a favorite for the whole year? Can't there be a different favorite every season? There are so many ways to have a favorite vegetable! But at the dinner table last night the conversation led to listing our favorites, and the list was clearly filling up with brassicas--the crop that includes kale and collards, broccoli and cauliflower, radishes and turnips. For sheer versatility, cabbage was at the top of our list.
This is the season when brassicas shine the brightest. They love this weather, they continue to grow and thrive until it gets down below about 20 degrees, and the flavor just improves as the weeks go by. Kale is at peak beauty right now. Spring brassicas pale in comparison to the fall version--in flavor and quality and general liveliness. They are often riddled with holes from insects. In the fall we still have cabbage moths, but the plants are much more resilient and the damage doesn't overwhelm them.
And as we all know, this family is about the best food you can eat, in terms of nutrients. Brassicas are the queen of the superfoods. We should say "a brassica a day" instead of "an apple a day!"
If you have not yet learned to love this family (which includes Brussels sprouts, mustard greens, bok choy, choi sum, arugula, rutabaga, Napa cabbage), it is really time to take another look. They are so easy to cook, and the simplest way is with Asian seasonings and sauces. Soy sauce, ginger, garlic, tamarind, sesame oil, Thai curry... you can't go wrong. These greens are what really define the fall season, in culinary terms.
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