Kem Ormond’s vegetable garden: Broccoli, the superfood you can grow at home

Broccoli is easy to grow, and it's a superfood.

Kem Ormond is a features writer for NZME community newspapers and The Country. She’s also a keen gardener. This week, she’s getting her garden ready to plant broccoli.

OPINION

Broccoli: you either love it or you detest it.

I keep telling myself it is the ultimate super-vegetable and I need to eat it.

I am not keen on it cooked, but don’t mind it in a quiche and I love it raw in a salad.

Broccoli, or Brassica oleracea, is probably one of the superfoods that comes to mind when you think about healthy eating.

This cruciferous vegetable can keep you hydrated, support brain health and more.

Raw broccoli contains almost 90% water, 7% carbs and 3% protein, and is low in calories.

On the other hand, broccoli can cause gas and bloating as it contains sugars that the stomach and small intestine have a tough time digesting.

It contains a good amount of fibre.

Broccoli is easy to grow, and growing your own seedlings is simple.

Allow seedlings to grow to about 7cm before transplanting.

You can buy seedlings from your local garden shop; they usually have a broad selection of various types of broccoli.

While most gardeners seem to grow the big green florets, there are dozens of types of broccoli; including broccolini, spouting broccoli and colours that range from green to purple to white.

Each type of broccoli has different flavours, and different-sized stalks, leaves, and florets but they are all a superfood.

Growing broccoli

'Romanesco' broccoli adds colour and flavour intensity to winter dinners. Added to pickles and relishes it's a winner with cheese. Photo / Meg Liptrot

Broccoli can be planted in autumn, early winter and early spring in New Zealand, but it does depend on what region you live in.

It likes a well-composted soil and enjoys a good amount of sunshine and warmth but likes the soil kept moist.

I have grown my seedlings and this weekend I was kindly given a bag of sheep manure, so will dig a little of this into my soil, and then in a few weeks I will plant my seedlings out.

You need to plant the seedlings about 50cm apart.

Heads develop 15 to 20 weeks from sowing depending on the variety and region you are in.

I plant shogun winter harvest in the cooler months and broccoli summer green in the hotter months; these are the big heads.

For a stir fry, I plant a few sprouting purple broccoli for summer, but I suggest you chat with your local gardening shop about what they suggest is the best to plant in your region.

Harvesting broccoli

Cut the large central head when the buds are well formed, but before the flowers start to open.

Removing this central head will encourage smaller side shoots to form.

They’ll be ready for a second picking in a few weeks, and these are great to use in a stir fry.

My favourite way of using broccoli at present is in a raw broccoli salad.

Recipe: Raw broccoli salad

Broccoli makes a good base for a salad; like this raw fennel and broccoli salad with pickled onions.

This is a no-measure recipe, taste as you go!

Chop up the quantity of broccoli you need to feed your family. (I use whatever variety is ready in the garden)

Chop it small, including the stalks.

Chop up some red onion finely.

Add some cranberries or raisins.

Fry up some thinly sliced strips of bacon (optional) and add when cool.

Add to this some of your favourite creamy dressing or whatever dressing you prefer.

I usually make my own with mayo, olive oil, white vinegar, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper.

Leave to marinate for an hour or so…it is delicious!