The Weekly Pannier, November 7

Around six Friday evening, as has become our custom since August, we walked up the street to the home and winery of our local bio vigneron (winegrower) to pick up our weekly pannier of legumes and fruits. Every time we do this, we take note of the changing season. The days are shorter now, which means that the street lights are on, and the guys taking their smoke and glass of beer at the tables in front of the Bar PMU on the corner are shivering as they stamp their feet and gesticulate forcefully as they talk.

This week's pannier: ail, échalote, oignon, CHOU romanesco/frisé, POIVRON «vert», POIREAU, SALADE «laitue rouge, COURGE, POMME « dalinette »RAISIN « ribol»

This week's pannier: garlic, shallots, onions, chou romanesco, sweet green peppers, poireau (leeks), lettuce, butternut squash, apples (dalinette), and grapes (ribol).

The new item we encountered this week is the chou romanesco, which is like broccoli crossed with cauliflower. I went to the Google and found this excellent explanation by John Walker on the site Fractal Food of the plant's various names:

The French name, chou Romanesco literally translates to “Romanesco cabbage”, placing it in the cabbage family even though it doesn't much resemble any cabbage you've ever seen. In German, it's Pyramidenblumenkohl: “pyramid cauliflower”; in Italy, where it was first described in the sixteenth century, it's called broccolo romanesco: “Romanesco broccoli”, but sometimes cavolo romanesco: “Romanesco cabbage”. Finally, in English it's usually called “Romanesco broccoli”, but you'll also see it referred to as “Romanesco cauliflower”. Even professional plant taxonomists can't decide precisely where it belongs; some place it within the Italica group with broccoli, while others argue it belongs in the Botrytis group with cauliflower. Broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower—beats me—let's just consider it sui generis and call it “Romanesco”.

So that's what Juliette and I are calling it, Romanesco.