Ideas and Recipes for this weeks box contents............

Romanesco cauliflower is often called romanesco broccoli or calabrese romanesco - especially in Italian recipes. Don't worry, they're the same thing. Another name, minaret, is also used. Its high season is really October-November

Its flavour is somewhere between broccoli and cauliflower, with a sweet, vegetal nuttiness - and it's bereft of the slightly bitter edge cauliflower can have. Apparently, children tend to like it for this very reason.

Romanesco Cauliflower Pasta

1 head of romanesco cauliflower

2 shallots, minced

1/3 cup of dry white wine

1 pound of fresh linguini

3 tablespoons of fresh basil, finely chopped

1/3 pound of fresh mozzarella cheese, grated

2 tablespoons of olive oil

Salt and pepper

••••••••

Cut the cauliflower in half, cut out the inner core and break off the pointy florets into 1 inch pieces.

Put a large pan on medium-high heat and pour in the olive oil and heat up. Add the shallot and stir for a minute or two, then add the cauliflower. Continue to cook and stir for about 8 to 10 minutes uncovered until the florets start to brown.

Start making the pasta.

Add some salt and pepper to the cauliflower. Pour in the wine and deglaze the bottom of the pan by rubbing with a wooden spoon and stirring everything in the pan. Put the heat on low, cover and steam for about a minute until the cauliflower is tender. Add the basil.

Remove the sauce from the heat and pour over the pasta. Sprinkle with the mozzarella cheese.

Serves 4.