Broccoli is perhaps America’s best known cruciferous vegetable. Others include arugula, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, collards, cress, kale, kohlrabi, mustard greens, radishes, rutabaga, turnips and the many types of cabbage (green, red, Savoy, and Oriental Pac choy, tatsoi and Napa).

Cruciferous veggies are nutritional superstars that have come into the spotlight as research on their cancer-fighting properties has skyrocketed. In addition to powerful anti-cancer agents like quercetin and indoles, they contain sulfur compounds (glucosinolates like sinigrin, and sulforaphane) that are released when cruciferous vegetables are chopped or chewed. When these compounds come into contact with digestive enzymes, they trigger the liver’s detoxifying properties, helping destroy cancer-causing chemicals.

They’re also high in many antioxidants, vitamins (like C and folic acid), minerals, carotenoids, fiber and important phytochemicals. They also have anti-inflammatory properties.

This group of vegetables has long been known as crucifers because their four bright yellow flower petals form a cross. This family of plants is also known as brassicas (from the Latin word for cabbage). Gardeners have long referred to them as cole crops – deriving from the Latin word caulis, referring to the plant’s stem and seen in the terms coleslaw, cauliflower and kohlrabi.

Known for their tolerance of cold weather, brassicas are stars of autumn gardens in cool regions like ours. In warmer climates, like the American south, kale, collards, turnips and mustard greens are common winter crops.

Each of these veggies comes with its own unique flavor, texture and character. Different parts of the plants are eaten. Cauliflower is the flower; turnips and radishes are roots; kale and collards are leaves; and broccoli is both stems as well as florets. In addition to leaves, mustard seeds are also consumed.

Crucifers are common in cuisines around the world. Oriental kitchens use East Asian varieties like tatsoi, bok choy, Napa cabbage, mizuna, and Chinese broccoli. Cabbage has long been popular in many eastern and central European countries, where it is made into kraut and used to wrap meat and grains in glombki, galumpki, golabki – or simply cabbage rolls. Kale is popular in Holland and Ireland. Cauliflower is common in east Indian cuisine, and collard greens are used in Portugal, Brazil, and parts of Africa, as well as the American south.

The health benefits of brassicas are greatest when the veggies are eaten raw, since cooking dissipates the vitamins and breaks down the beneficial compounds. Unfortunately, too, the sulfur compounds responsible for the vegetable’s health benefits can create an unpleasant aroma when they’re overcooked. When boiled too long, the sulfurous odor and flavor increase, and crucifers become dull, mushy, bland and unappetizing.

Therefore, its best to cook them minimally. Stir-frying, sauteing, quick braising or roasting bring out their best qualities. French chefs often blanch brassicas in order to allow the unpleasant sulfurous odor to escape before adding them to a recipe.

Roasted cauliflower and napa

Ingredients:

2 cups cauliflower florets

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 Tablespoon almond or peanut oil (or other high smoke point oil), divided

2 cups coarsely chopped Napa

1 Tablespoon fresh thyme leaves

1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar

1 Tablespoon shredded sharp cheese (sharp Cheddar or Parmesan)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Butter or oil baking pan.

Rinse cauliflower and separate into florets. Toss with salt, then with 1/2 tablespoon of the oil. Spread in a single layer in the prepared pan. Place in oven and roast 15 to 20 minutes. Check for tenderness.

While the cauliflower roasts, remove thyme from stems and set aside. Wash the Napa thoroughly, drain, and cut into about 2″ segments. Toss with remaining oil.

Remove cauliflower from oven, and sprinkle with the thyme leaves. Place Napa on top. Return to oven and cook four to five minutes. Remove; sprinkle with vinegar and toss to combine. Sprinkle with cheese and return to oven for cheese to melt, about 2 minutes more. Serve hot, as a side for meat. Serves two to four (depending on portion size).

Option: add chopped onion when roasting cauliflower. If you like it hot, sprinkle with curry, cumin or red pepper flakes when roasting.

Potato casserole with brassicas

Ingredients:

1 large or 2 medium potatoes

2 teaspoons butter or oil

1 teaspoon salt, divided

1 large onion (or 2 if small)

1 bunch brassicas of your choice – about 4 cups chopped. This is good with kale, bok choy, arugula; try other greens.

2 cups farmer cheese

2 eggs

1 cup sour cream

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Butter or oil 2 quart round casserole dish.

Boil unpeeled potatoes about 15 minutes.

While potatoes cook, melt butter in skillet. Peel and dice the onion; sprinkle with salt and cook on low about 15 minutes to caramelize slightly.

Wash the greens and chop them. Set aside.

Plunge potatoes in ice water to cool and remove peels. Slice 1/4″ thick.

Layer 1/3 of the potatoes in the bottom of a casserole. Top with 1/2 of the farmer cheese, Next layer half of the onion, then half of the greens. Sprinkle with salt & pepper.

Repeat Layers: 1/3 of potatoes, remaining cheese, remaining onion and remaining greens. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Top with remaining potatoes.

Beat eggs with salt and sour cream. Pour over the top.

Bake about 50 minutes, until eggs are set. Remove from oven and let settle five to 10 minutes before serving.

Serves 4 as a main dish; serve with tossed salad of fresh greens.

Author of the award-winning cookbook Garden Gourmet: Fresh & Fabulous Meals from your Garden, CSA or Farmers’ Market, Yvona Fast lives in Lake Clear and has two passions: cooking and writing. She can be reached at www.wordsaremyworld.com or on Facebook as author

Yvona Fast.