Market Fresh: Baby broccoli

While it looks like it might be a vegetable that was simply picked very early, “baby broccoli” is actually a fully mature example of a variety called Italian sprouting broccoli.

It has got the same delicious mixture of sweet and bitter that regular broccoli has, but in a form that is concentrated more in the long, leggy stems than in the fully flowering heads. The main drawback with most sprouting broccoli is that those stems can get big and tough enough that they need to be peeled. After that, no problem.

How to choose: Look for sprouting broccoli that has fresh bases (not dried out), firm stems (no soft spots) and tightly furled heads (no evident flowering).

How to store: Refrigerate sprouting broccoli in a tightly sealed plastic bag.

How to prepare: Blanch it, chop it and sauté it with olive oil, dried red pepper flakes and garlic to make a quick winter pasta sauce.