Broccoli is an edible green plant in the cabbage family whose large flowerhead is eaten as a vegetable. Broccoli is a result of careful breeding of cultivated leafy cole crops in the northern Mediterranean starting in about the 6th century BC.

Growing Broccoli: is a cool-weather crop that does poorly in hot summer weather. Broccoli grows best when exposed to an average daily temperature between 64 and 73 °F (18 and 23 °C). When the cluster of flowers, also referred to as a "head" of broccoli, appear in the center of the plant, the cluster is green. Broccoli should be harvested before the flowers on the head bloom bright yellow.

Nutritional Information: Broccoli is high in vitamin C and dietary fiber. It also contains multiple nutrients with potent anti-cancer properties, such as diindolylmethane (DIM) A single serving provides more than 30 mg of vitamin C and a half-cup provides 52 mg of vitamin C. Broccoli also contains the compound glucoraphanin, which can be processed into an anti-cancer compound sulforaphane, though the anti-cancer benefits of broccoli are greatly reduced if the vegetable is boiled. Boiling broccoli reduces the levels of suspected anti-carcinogenic compounds. However, other preparation methods such as steaming, microwaving, and stir frying had no significant effect on the compounds