I read this morning in the LA times that Romanesco Cauliflower, with its repeating fractal pattern, is drawing students (groupies) from Cal Polytechnic to Farmers Market stands where they stare at it for long periods.

I know lots of people who would perhaps partake in this type of slightly anti-social behavior; I went to a nerd school myself.

Understandably, it seems strange to the rest of world who are probably attracted to the vegetable because of it’s pretty chartreuse color, or its nutty flavor and crumbly texture when roasted with olive oil.

But I have decided that true to my nerdy roots, I am going to grow this for the pure pleasure of watching a plant produce angular, pyramidal curds in a regular mathematical pattern.

Is there anything wrong with that?  I think not.

And I am looking forward to giving some of it to my little people this fall to sell at our Farmers Market Kids Weekend, to see if we attract any local MIT, Tufts, Harvard or WPI  cauliflower groupies to come a stare at our Romanesco.