What is cauliflower
Cauliflower is the edible flower of the herbaceous plant Brassica oleracea L., variety botrytis, belonging to the C familyrockiferae. On the Italian peninsula different varieties of cauliflower are grown (early and late) which determine their diversification and their respective vulgar nomenclature; the main ones are:
Grow cauliflower
Cauliflower is a vegetable that needs a fair amount of care in cultivation; the soil must be rich (but not exceeding), therefore (in the crop rotation) this variety of Brassica oleracea it should always be cultivated first. The cauliflower needs large spaces of separation between the plants in order to allow the development of the leaf mass, which is why an abundant irrigation must not be missing. The ubiquitous fertilizer for cauliflower is organic, composed, also based on manure. , manure or bone-blood-horn meal; in addition, in the growth phase, the use of nettle macerate or rock dust may be convenient. NB: the association with celery seems to be favorable.
The early varieties of cauliflower require sowing in greenhouses in March, while the late ones in open flower beds in the period between April and May; the transplant takes place after a month or 45 days (the suitable distance for the cultivation of cauliflower is of about 50X50cm). NB: it is essential to remember that to obtain a pure white cauliflower it is necessary to tie the outer leaves on the flower or fold some of them on top. closed; for the early varieties it is probably between the end of July and the beginning of August, while for the late cauliflower it reaches the end of October.
Cauliflower in the kitchen
Cauliflower is a vegetable to be eaten fresh for many months a year (also thanks to the different varieties); moreover, by cultivating them and wanting to distribute their consumption, it is possible to preserve it by freezing (cooked or raw), in oil or in vinegar. .
To fully enjoy the vitamin-salt content of cauliflower, it should be consumed mainly raw; in fact, by subjecting it to cooking (boiling or boiling), the thermolabile vitamins and a part of the mineral salts are destroyed or dispersed in the liquid (except cooking in steam and / or in a pressure cooker). It is also "legitimate to observe that, according to the Italian cultural trend, the consumption of raw cauliflower is at least unusual; NOT so much for any contraindications or unwanted effects, but for a mere" matter of taste ". For their part, the followers of the" raw food "and vegans in general, a little" by choice, a little "to increase the variety of edible preparations, make use of it quite frequently, making greater use of all the beneficial properties ... but also of the anti-nutritional ones. on the one hand, by eating raw cauliflower it is possible to absorb a greater quantity of vitamins, on the other hand one is subjected to a greater concentration of chelating molecules (which bind mineral salts and reduce their absorption); not only, observing the table below it is clear that cooking cauliflower increases the edible portion, reduces that of water and promotes the concentration of available carbohydrates and proteins up to double them. In practice, by cooking the cauliflower it acquires a better digestibility and a greater energy supply.
Wanting to be meticulous, we remind you that cauliflower is part of the list of foods that, when raw, alter (to an extent that is difficult to quantify) the metabolism of iodine by interfering "hypothetically" with the "thyroid homeostasis. However, it is relatively reliable information and therefore to be taken. "with the pliers", even if (for my part) they constitute a sufficient starting point to determine a sporadic consumption of RAW cauliflower. thyroid metabolism.
Cauliflower Mayonnaise Without Eggs
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Nutritional characteristics
Cauliflower is a vegetable belonging to the VII food group as it contains a good amount of vit. C (ascorbic acid); in parallel, it could be classified among the foods of group VI, as there is no lack of carotenoids (pro-vitamin A). Thanks to the high content of antioxidants (including the aforementioned molecules, the sulforaphane, the chlorophyll, etc.) raw cauliflower is a food with anti-aging and anti-tumor characteristics.
As for mineral salts, cauliflower contains good amounts of potassium.
Cauliflower provides an "excellent ration of dietary fiber, a satiating, preventive and therapeutic component towards constipation, modulator of the glycemic index, prebiotic and hypocholesterolemic". Similarly to the others Brassica oleracea, even cooked and blended cauliflower (to make up a soupy soup) can be used in the purification and restoration of intestinal and liver function following periods of poor nutrition.
Cauliflower is NOT a particularly energetic food and can be used as a substitute for most vegetables or greens. It contains few proteins (low biological value), few fats (mainly unsaturated) and few carbohydrates (simple and complex).
Alas, cauliflower is rich in purines, which is why it is excluded from the preventive diet of hyperuricemia and gout.
Cauliflower is a vegetable and, as such, is potentially exposed to nitrate contamination; it is advisable to rinse it thoroughly, to NEVER consume it DIRTY (not even from autonomous cultivation) and to vary its use with other products of the same category.
Nutritional composition of Cauliflower - reference values of the Food Composition Tables - INRAN
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