We
have amazing kale and other greens at the farm right now and I took
some home with me the other day. I love my southern style
greens and I am so glad that I have a source for fresh ones right
now. The kale has "wintered over" and it is as sweet and
tender as kale gets. The Lacinato, Peacock and Red Russian have
been in the field since last fall. Kales are cole crops and so they
thrive in cooler weather. In warmer weather, they become tough and
bitter, especially if they are allowed to become "overgrown".
I
do love my brassicas and for those of you who don't know what
brassicas are, here is your "foodie" lesson for
today:
Brassica (/ˈbræsɨkə/)
is a genus of plants in the mustard family
(Brassicaceae). The members of the genus are informally known
as cruciferous vegetables, cabbages, or mustard plant.
Crops from this genus are sometimes called cole crops—derived
from the Latin caulis, denoting the stem or stalk of a
plant.
Members
of brassica commonly used for food
include cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, Brussels
sprouts, kale, collards and some seeds. The genus is known
for its important agricultural and horticultural crops
and includes a number of weeds, both of wild taxa and escapees
from cultivation. It counts over 30 wild species and hybrids plus
numerous cultivars and hybrids of cultivated origin. Most are
seasonal plants (annuals or biennials), but some are small
shrubs. Brassica plants have been the subject of
much scientific interest for their agricultural importance. Six
particular species (B. carinata, B. juncea, B.
oleracea, B. napus, B. nigra and B.
rapa) evolved by the combining of chromosomes from
three earlier species, as described by the Triangle of U theory.
The
genus is native in the wild in western Europe,
the Mediterranean and temperate regions of Asia and
many wild species grow as weeds, especially in North
America,South America, and Australia.
A
dislike for cabbage or broccoli can result from the fact that these
plants contain a compound similar to phenylthiocarbamide (PTC),
which is bitter or tasteless to some people depending on their 'taste
buds'.
(There
is a real reason some people don't like this veggie group. I am not
one of those people, except that I do not like kale at any stage but
young.)
Kale or borecole (Brassica
oleracea Acephala Group) is a vegetable with green
or purple leaves, in which the central leaves do not form a head. It
is considered to be closer to wild cabbage than most
domesticated forms of vegetables.The species Brassica
oleracea contains a wide variety of vegetables,
including broccoli, cauliflower, collard greens,
and brussels sprouts. The cultivar group Acephala also
includes spring greens and collard greens, which are
similar genetically.
Almost
all parts of some species or other have been developed for food,
including the root (rutabaga, turnips),
stems (kohlrabi),
leaves (cabbage, collard
greens), flowers (cauliflower, broccoli),
buds (Brussels
sprouts, cabbage),
and seeds (many, including mustard
seed, and oil-producing rapeseed).
Some forms with white or purple foliage or flower heads are also
sometimes grown for ornament.
Nutrition
Brassica vegetables
are rich in indole-3-carbinol,
a chemical which boosts DNA repair in cells in
vitro and
appears to block the growth of cancer cells in
vitro. They
are also a good source of carotenoids,
with broccoli having
especially high levels. Researchers at the University of
California at Berkeley have recently discovered that
3,3'-diindolylmethane inBrassica vegetables
is a potent modulator of the innate immune response
system with potent antiviral, antibacterial and anticancer
activity; however, it also is an antiandrogen but
known to be anti-androgenic only in hormone sensitive prostate cancer
cells. These
vegetables also contain goitrogens,
some of which suppress thyroid function. Goitrogens can induce
hypothyroidism and goiter in the absence of normal iodine intake.
