By Katy G. Wilkens, MS, RD

My garden is growing bouquets. Not flowers, but bouquets of broccoli and cauliflower. These edible flower buds are full of vitamins, fiber and flavor. 

I’ve had good luck growing cauliflower over the years, but my breakthrough came when I discovered colored varieties – orange, purple and bright green, not just plain old white. Colored varieties have a lot more vitamin A than the white types. I also think they are sweeter, with a nuttier flavor when roasted. 

I grow an orange variety of cauliflower called Cheddar, and that exactly describes its vibrant golden color. A friend serves the purple and gold varieties with veggie dips for University of Washington sports events. 

Don’t count on pickling these colorful flower buds. When I tried it, all of the beautiful colors washed out, leaving me with jars of pinkish fluid and not-quite-white florets. 

To bring out the best in your cauliflower, roast under high heat. It gets a sweet, nutty, caramelized flavor that is delicious and nutritious. Or serve it fresh and raw in a green salad or make it the base for a veggie salad. 

Mix fresh broccoli in a salad made with leftover brown rice and save yourself cooking a meal on a hot summer night.

My broccoli continues to give me nice secondary florets until late winter. If you carefully cut them above the new shoots, you will get second, third and maybe fourth crops. 

Quick Curried Cauliflower

1 head cauliflower (orange variety if available)

¼ cup olive oil

1 tablespoon curry powder or garam masala

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Cut cauliflower into small florets and cut larger florets into bite-sizes. Put cauliflower on tray. Sprinkle with oil and curry powder or garam masala. Toss until cauliflower is covered with oil and spices. Bake for about 10 minutes. Stir and return to oven for about 5 more minutes until fork tender, watching so it doesn’t burn.  

Nutritional Information:

Calories: 108, Carbohydrates: 5 grams, Protein: 2 grams, Sodium: 30 milligrams

Cauliflower Broccoli Salad

1 cup cauliflower florets 

1 cup broccoli florets

1 large cucumber, sliced thick

1 red pepper 

½ cup mayonnaise 

¼ cup fresh basil, chopped fine

¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped fine 

½ teaspoon curry powder (optional) 

½ cup unsalted hazelnuts, coarsely chopped. 

Cut broccoli and cauliflower into florets. If large, cut in half. Cut cucumber in thick slices and then quarter. Dice red pepper. Add fresh herbs and nuts and then stir in mayonnaise. Keeps well for picnics or potlucks.

Nutritional Information:

Calories: 276, Carbohydrates: 7 grams, Protein: 4 grams, Sodium: 112 milligrams

Broccoli Brown Rice Salad

2 cups cooked brown rice

1 cup grated carrots

1 cup broccoli florets, cut small

2 tablespoons diced onion

½ cup mayonnaise

1 tablespoon lemon juice 

¼ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

¼ cup parsley, chopped fine 

Use rice left over from a previous meal. Mix ingredients and serve chilled. For an entree, add a can of salmon, shrimp or tuna, or any cubed meat, chicken or seafood. Serve with crusty French bread for a meal that doesn’t require cooking. 

Nutritional Information:

Calories: 329, Carbohydrates: 27 grams, Protein: 3 grams, Sodium: 184 milligrams

The information in this column is meant for people who want to keep their kidneys healthy and blood pressure down by following a low-sodium diet. In most cases, except for dialysis patients, a diet high in potassium is thought to help lower high blood pressure. These recipes are not intended for people on dialysis without the supervision of a registered dietitian. 

[Katy G. Wilkens is a registered dietitian and department head at Northwest Kidney Centers. A recipient of the Susan Knapp Excellence in Education Award from the National Kidney Foundation Council on Renal Nutrition, she has a Master of Science degree in nutritional sciences from the University of Washington. See more of her recipes at www.nwkidney.org.]