A Slow Road from Garden to Plate or maybe not!

Back in early Spring Kate gave me 2 romanesco broccoli seedlings. I duly planting them assuming they where a typical broccoli but with a different form. Lime green, with a coral type form, very popular in northern Italy.

They grew and grew and grew, I had to stake one as tumbled out onto the path but no sign of a broccoli head forming. Mean while Kate’s had headed towards seeding and its place was quickly filled with plants that would make a meal sooner. Meanwhile my two where still growing and one needed a bigger stake. Then in late April, excitement plus the smaller one started to set heads not one but many, was it going to seed. The weather must have cooled down just in time. The many small heads provided several harvests and are still producing a harvest now and then. The other one, now much bigger than its companion has finally set a single head, still small but beautiful in its form so maybe I’ll have a nice head to harvest by the end of august, maybe for kitchen garden day/bloggers get together. True slow food but I’m sure it will be worth the wait.

Meanwhile back in January I planted some Franchi romanesco precoce seeds (these are cauliflowers but look the same as romanesco broccoli on the packet) these along with the purple ones(di sicilia vioetto) are doing well , the plants are normal size of cauliflower/broccoli and setting heads (the largest being almost the same size as the spring one). So I’d recommend planting them in January, (the instructions suggest planting in late summer for winter harvest) thus reducing the risk of them going to seed during the hot weather and using up a lot less space.

So are the same, or is there a romanesco broccoli and also a romanesco cauliflower? or is it a matter of translation?