Cabbage Clan Gains Respect

The cabbage family, once a lowly clan associated with boarding house smells, has climbed high in the world’s esteem. Deemed excellent for our health, the brassicas--as they are known botanically--offer something for every garden.

Seed catalogues are rich in offerings of this wide-ranging, multiseason tribe. Besides cabbage itself, the brassicas include broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, kale, collards, rutabaga, kohlrabi and Orientals like pak-choi.

Most may be eaten raw as well as cooked. And, as an ornamental, lacy-edged kale, deep green or red, fits well in borders and flower arrangements.

When planted early in spring, it develops central heads in mid-June. After that, the same plants go on producing little heads known as florets for the rest of the summer and deep into fall. You can get another harvest of central heads in the fall by planting a late variety like Waltham in midsummer.

Rich in vitamins and minerals, broccoli ranks at the top of nutrition charts and, like Brussels sprouts, is believed to help prevent some types of cancer.