Warm Romanesco salad with cashew nuts 15 Aug 2013 This remarkable vegetable is a fine example of phyllotaxis: the fractional patterning that appears in nature

Some people call this Romanesque cauliflower. Whatever its name, this remarkable vegetable is a fine example of phyllotaxis (the fractional patterning that appears in nature). It has a sweet vegetable nuttiness and tastes more like broccoli than cauliflower, which is why it goes so well with cashew nuts. For real effect it can be boiled whole and served as it is, but you can also celebrate its shape by dividing it into florets and placing it in a dish such as this stir fry which highlights its amazing shape.

To serve four people you will need:

• Half a Romanesco
• I head of garlic
• 2 oz (50g) cashew nuts
• Generous handful of chopped curly kale
• Splash olive oil to fry
• Splash Soy sauce
• Salt and freshly ground black peppercorn to season.

Method:

• Break the Romanesco into florets and divide the head of garlic, peeling each clove as you go.
• Blanch the Romanesco florets in boiling salted water, removing from the pot while they are still crisp.
• Cover the base of a large frying pan with olive oil and heat, adding the cashew nuts first, allowing them to cook for about 5 minutes before stirring in the garlic, Romanesco and the chopped curly kale.
• Fry for about five minutes then season and stir in soy sauce to taste.
• Serve warm.