Cauliflower
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Cauliflowers are a popular subject for painters, potters and tapestry makers all over the world, and no less charming in the potager garden. This Brassica is a heavy feeder and likes sweet soil; plant in soil which is rich in organic matter, adding dolomite lime as needed. Best grown as transplants: start seed indoors 8 weeks before transplanting into the garden (2 weeks prior to the last frost date or in early summer for fall harvest). Harvest cauliflower while the buds are tightly closed, using a large sharp blade to cut it off at ground level. One of our favorite comfort foods is steamed cauliflower lightly baked with a soul-warming, white cheese sauce with a healthy dose of freshly grated nutmeg. Yum.
Average seed life: 3 years
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#1700 Early Dawn Cauliflower: 50-60 days
Early Dawn features dense, bright white curds wrapped in large, blue-green leaves. Each dense head is perfect for early summer or late fall harvest, maturing from transplants in under two months. Early Dawn is semi-self blanching; fold large wrapper leaves over the curd to ensure whiteness. Make an impromptu, cold summer sauce for freshly steamed vegetables or use as a healthy sandwich spread. Chunk cut and steam the cauliflower stem for 20 minutes. Puree in food processor; add mayonnaise until thickly emulsified. Add fresh chives and pepper to taste. It is also perfect for piping hot bowls of rich cream of cauliflower and cheddar cheese soup, topped with chopped chives and toasted cheddar croutons. (F1.)
Packet of 175 Seeds / $3.35
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#1705 Amazing Cauliflower: 75 days
New! Aptly named for its unique attributes, it is amazingly
adaptable throughout the U.S. Both high-heat and freezing-cold tolerant, Amazing has uniform, bright-white,
deep dome, 10” heads that are...self-wrapping! Hooray! Its
productive sturdy plants have large, dense curds with tight
florets just bursting with flavor. (OP.)
Packet of 100 Seeds / $3.45
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#1710 Shannon Romanesco Broccoflower: 80-90 days
Is it a Broccoli? Is it a Cauliflower? Who knows, but we do know that Romanesco 'Broccoflower' makes a most dramatic presentation. The flavor is like Broccoli and like Cauliflower; sweet, with a soft Brassica tang.
A green-eyed Irish lass must have been the namesake of this unique Romanesco variety. Each complex, symmetrical head features whorls of pointy, vivid chartreuse green ‘florets’ that only Mother Nature could have created. Shannon grows vigorously - harvest when the head is no larger than 7” in diameter for best eating. Shannon keeps well and its unique, sweet flavor is a bit milder than regular cauliflower. Serve cooked (it stays green!) or enjoy the intricate shapes of the florets raw or slightly steamed with dips. (OP.)
Packet of 30 Seeds / $3.95
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#1715 Veronica Romanesco Broccoflower: 77 days
Is it a Broccoli? Is it a Cauliflower? Who knows, but we do know that Romanesco 'Broccoflower' makes a most dramatic presentation. The flavor is like Broccoli and like Cauliflower; sweet, with a soft Brassica tang.
New! This other-worldly seductress has complex, symmetrical
heads comprised of lime-green florets that spiral into
intricate peaks. Quite a prolific producer, Veronica should
be harvested young for the best flavor which is milder and
sweeter than common cauliflower siblings. Veronica may be
cooked (it stays green!) or enjoyed raw when you can nibble
away at its intriguing peaked florets capped in savory dips.
(F1.)
Packet of 30 Seeds / $3.95
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#1720 Cheddar Cauliflower: 68 days
Aptly named for its bright, cheddar orange-yellow color, this newcomer boasts of 25 times more beta carotene than regular cauliflower. Similar in taste to regular cauliflower with a more creamy texture, it is delicious raw or cooked. For plates designed to look like an artist’s palate, it intensifies to vibrant citrus-orange when lightly steamed! Not heat tolerant, we recommend this colorful Brassica only for late fall harvest. (F1.)
Packet of 20 Seeds / $4.75
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#1730 Verdi Cauliflower: 55-65 days
Another Brassica of a different color, Verdi is the market grower’s choice for gourmet, green cauliflower. It produces uniform, medium-sized plants with attractive, dense, domed heads with smooth, lime-green curds. This productive variety has an open head that colors up prior to harvest without needing to be wrapped or blanched.
Verdi also makes a more visually dynamic pasta partner:
parboil Verdi florets for eight minutes until crisp-tender. Set aside on paper towels to dry. Cook the pasta of your choice in the cauliflower water. Sauté chopped garlic, julienned leeks, match stick-cut red bell peppers and the cauliflower florets in really hot extra virgin olive oil for about 6 minutes. Top pasta with sautéed vegetables, toasted pine nuts, a dollop of room temperature ricotta cheese and a healthy sprinkling of, you guessed it, grated Parmesan. (F1.)
Packet of 25 Seeds / $4.25
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#1740 Graffiti Purple Cauliflower: 70-80 days
Amazing, but true~a real purple cauliflower! Despite its unusual color, Graffiti is a true cauliflower with large heads that do not need to be wrapped or blanched. Its deep purple curds are surprisingly sweet and will be much loved by children. When steaming or boiling Graffiti, it will change from purple to greenish-white unless you add lemon juice to the water before cooking. It is best grown for fall harvest when its purple coloration will fully mature. (F1.)
Packet of 25 Seeds / $4.75
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#1745 Rainbow Cauliflower Mixture: 50-80 days
We know that not everyone has a garden large enough to grow scads of each colorful variety, so we created this special mixture of purple, orange-yellow, lime-green and white cauliflower seeds. Imagine your children’s delight when they each color up! A veritable garden surprise party. Each variety is easy to grow for late summer or early fall harvest, and none require special treatment (translation: the white variety is self-blanching). Each variety is delicious raw in kaleidoscopic crudité platters and perfect steamed and sprinkled with lemon juice to help them retain their vivid colors. (F1.)
Packet of 50 Seeds / $3.25
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