First picking of the PSB

Well, the moment finally arrived when I felt it was OK to pick the first of this year's Purple Sprouting Broccoli. It didn't take me long to gather it - one single swipe with a sharp knife, and this is what I got:

This is the central growing-point of a "Rudolph" plant. Cutting this part off your plant forces the plant to put its energy into the formation of side-shoots. My next photo will enable you to visualise how this is going to happen...

The piece I have cut is of course a collection of smaller shoots clustered around a central stem.

I don't feel my camera has reproduced the colour accurately, but the next couple of shots will give you some idea of how beautiful this edible flower really is!

In the kitchen, this flower-head needs to be disassembled for cooking, otherwise the flower bits will end up mushy before the central stalk is cooked. I usually keep some of the leaves too, since these are nice to eat as well as the flowers.

That one piece provides plenty for a two-person serving. I'll show you tomorrow how it got used as part of a meal.