Brassicas
This large family of vegetables includes cabbages, cauliflower, broccoli and brussels sprouts, as well as oriental greens like mustard cabbage and pak choi.
CORING CABBAGE
The hard white core at the centre of all cabbage is tough and inedible and should be removed to allow easy shredding and even cooking of the cabbage leaves.
Remove any outer, damaged leaves. Cut the cabbage lengthwise into quarters with a chef's knife. Cut off the base of each quarter at an angle to remove the hard white core. The cabbage is now ready to be shredded.
SHREDDING CABBAGE
After cutting a cabbage into quarters and coring it, it can be shredded for eating raw in salads and coleslaws, or for stir-frying, steaming or simmering in soups such as minestrone. Cabbage can be shredded either by hand or in a food processor.
BY HAND
Lay each cabbage quarter on a cutting board. Cut across to form even strips.
BY MACHINE
With the processor running, feed each cabbage quarter into the machine and shred.
COMBINING COLOURS
A colourful mixture of shredded red, white and green cabbage leaves looks very attractive and, with its mix of textures and flavours, makes an excellent winter salad.
Shred the cabbage either by hand or machine and place in a bowl. Toss in a vinaigrette or cooked dressing, or in mayonnaise.
SETTING THE COLOUR OF RED CABBAGE
Once cut, red cabbage has a tendency to turn blue or purple. This simple technique helps it keep its red colour.
1. Pour hot red wine vinegar over shredded cabbage (about 4 tbsp is enough for ½ small head of cabbage). Mix well and let stand for 5-10 minutes, then drain off excess vinegar.
2. Serve the red cabbage raw, tossed in a vinaigrette dressing and sprinkled with chopped parsley, or use in cooked dishes.
PREPARING BROCCOLI AND CAULIFLOWER
The delicate florets and hard stalks of broccoli and cauliflower cook at different rates so you need to separate them before cooking. Broccoli is illustrated here.
1. Holding the vegetable over a colander, cut off the florets leaving only the stalk. Divide the larger florets into smaller ones.
2. Remove the leaves from the stalk. Peel away the tough, outer layer with a vegetable peeler, then cut the stalk lengthwise in half.
3. Put the stalk cut-side down and remove the ends. Cut the stalk lengthwise into slices; cut the slices lengthwise into sticks.
PREPARING BRUSSELS SPROUTS
To ensure even cooking of large sprouts, a cross is cut in the base. This is not necessary for small sprouts.
Cut a cross shape in the base of sprout with a chef's knife. Cut only a quarter of the way into the sprout, or it may fall apart during cooking. Trim the base stalks and remove any discoloured outer leaves.
PREVENTING DISCOLORATION
White vegetables, such as the cauliflower shown here, have a tendency to discolour when cut and exposed to the air. To prevent discoloration, put the prepared vegetable in a bowl, cover with cold water and add 1 tbsp lemon juice or white wine vinegar. This acidulates the water and preserves the colour of the vegetable.
Brassicas are all good sources of vitamin C and minerals, but broccoli is particularly high in many vital nutrients.
• 100 g broccoli provides over half the recommended daily intake of vitamin C.
• Broccoli is rich in carotene. High intakes may provide protection against cancer and heart disease.
• Broccoli is rich in folate (folic acid) which is needed by the body to form DNA and process proteins.
• The minerals iron, potassium and chromium are found in significant amounts in broccoli.
