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First Time Broccoli Rabe

10 years ago

I'd never tried it and it's always very expensive but they had it on sale this week and since we love all the cruciferous vegetables I got it. Whoa! That is some intense flavor! But we liked it. I sauted it in a little bacon, olive oil, onion, garlic, and seasoned it with salt and pepper and some crushed red pepper, same as all the other greens I cook. But I don't think it would be a hit with the grandkids.

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Comments (4)

User
10 years ago
We love it! I just bought starter plants for the garden yesterday so I don't have to buy it this fall.
marcopolo5
10 years ago
Broccoli rabe as a main dish with white cannellini beans and italian sausage is a winner at our home. Small amounts of left over cooked BR gets cut up and used in scrambled eggs.
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Trsinc, it was Quarantina. The description says that the plant was supposed to grow to 8 to 10 inches. However, as stated above, the September plants were about 2 to 2 1/2 feet. Broccoli rabe is not something that I useually plant. So this was actually an "experiment". I planted it Fall 2007 and then again Fall 2008. In general, the taste was good. The only problem was once the September broccoli rabe plants grew overly large they became bitter. Here is a link that might be useful: Quarantina - Broccoli Rabe
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Dear Bonjoey: Sounds like you're having the same trouble I had. If your New Jersey spring was as cold as my Long Island spring, the raab plants got confused and began to flower (set seed) before the plants had a chance to grow. When they begin flowering when only inches high they are goners. I pulled mine out and replaced them with other things. Meanwhile I started some new seed for later planting. Dear Violet: Ordinarily, when my raab plants reach full growth (2-3 feet high) that's when the florets begin forming, all over the plant. I pick them just before they begin to open up, picking daily until the florets become too small to bother with. This can go on for two to three weeks until the plants run out of gas and I replace them with new plants waiting in the wings. You suggest cutting them back at their bases. I'm here to learn. Please explain further.
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I just started trying to grow cima di rapa (broccolli rabe) this year. First result looks good but the patch I used was kind of small. I am growing a 40 day variety which means it will be ready in aout 25 days. I figure this will give me plenty of ways of experimenting over this summer. Cima di Rapa is italian for "turnip top." Hence there similariy in tast with turnip greens. They are much closer related to turnips than broccoli.
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broccoli rabe - few spindly buds, lots of leaves
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Comments (1)
The primary edible parts of the rabe plant are the leaves. The best varieties have more leaves that bulbs and stalks. I planted a similar plant called spigiriello that is more stalky, but the leaves are great; tastes a lot like collards.
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plllog
10 years ago
My favorite pizza topping is broccoli rabe cut into pieces and sautéed with white onion and red pepper flakes until glistening and just beginning to soften.
sleevendog (5a NY 6aNYC NL CA)
10 years ago
I'm glad you got a good harvest batch. Like just about all veggies in the market, they can often be disappointing. Sometimes tough and woody stemmed.

Recently rabe has been great. Last weekend i had a beautiful bunch of red kale. It was tough and woody all the way through the leaf veins. Odd. I've started a somewhat annoying pre-dinner testing when we have guests.

(learned that from testing a small patty of sausage filling before running through the lengthy process of casing stuffing...and so many other things that could use a taste test for seasoning/texture, etc).

I get a great patch in the garden about every three years early Spring. Usually bolts when the weather shifts from cold to hot in one short week.

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