Broccoli Rabe, by Claire Criscuolo, RN

Broccoli rabe is an Italian bitter green with a strong, assertive flavor. We love it in my family, but you do need to have a taste for pungent, bitter greens to love it. And, like any other food, you can develop a taste for it and I'll give you a pointer about this later.

I encourage you to learn to enjoy the flavor of this healthful relative of the cabbage and turnip family because it is a terrific source of Vitamin A, Calcium, and Iron, and it is a wonderfully versatile vegetable. There are so many ways to enjoy it - as a side dish, or in a sandwich on Italian bread - great for absorbing the delicious juices, or as an entree when tossed with linguine, or you can braise the broccoli rabe and pair it with Italian soy sausages (my favorite!), or with potatoes and white beans, for another terrific entree. It's even good in lasagne!

Broccoli rabe, also referred to as rapini or sometimes just called rabe, has always been popular in the Italian community, especially among southern Italians. It is available throughout most of the year, with a greater abundance in the fall, winter, and spring. There are a couple of varieties available but mainly, you'll find Andy Boy Broccoli Rabe, grown in California available in this region. The Andy Boy brand is a variety with greater bud to leaf ratio, something most people prefer and what we've become accustomed to, mainly because of the good marketing efforts by the Andy Boy company.

Lou Borrelli, is a third generation commercial farmer in North Haven and he and his brothers are one of the few Connecticut growers of a lesser known, but exceptionally delicious variety - one with a greater proportion of large leaves to buds, the opposite of the Andy Boy brand. When I had the pleasure of visiting his farm last week, I tasted his rabe right in the field and it was tender and delicious. I couldn't wait to get home to cook it. Unfortunately, this variety is available in limited quantities because there doesn't seem to be a great demand for it according to Lou Borrelli, who sells most of his broccoli rabe, along with his other crops (gorgeous cabbage, hot peppers, stunning leeks, among other lovingly grown vegetables and herbs) to the big supermarket chain stores. In fact, he took me (in his red pick-up) to a local Stop and Shop store to show me his produce - what a thrill to see his genuine pride as he scouted out his vegetables and herbs! As far as I can determine, if you see broccoli rabe in a store, and it doesn't have the Andy Boy label around it, then it's likely to be from Borrelli Farms. I'll bet that if we ask our produce folks to bring us Borrelli Broccoli Rabe we can get it in stock more often. It's really worth a try.

Look for dark green leaves with broccoli like buds on 8-9 inch stems. Avoid any with even a bit of yellow, a sure sign that it is past its prime and has lost some nutritional value and flavor. Store it for up to 5 days in a plastic bag or wrapped in a kitchen towel in your refrigerator.

If you are new to broccoli rabe, or just someone who hasn't yet appreciated the robust flavor, you might want to first blanch it in lightly salted boiling water for just a minute or two, to reduce some of the bitterness. Do this before you saute' it - as I call for in the recipes that follow. After a few tries, you'll be looking forward to the unique bitterness - characteristic of this gem of a vegetable and you won't need to blanch out some of the bitterness. But until then, take it slowly.

I hope you enjoy the following recipes, they are among my favorites.

Where to buy broccoli rabe:
Bishop's Orchards Farm Market -1355 Boston Post Rd., Guilford, telephone: 453-2338
DeRose's Marketplace - 500 Orange St. New Haven, telephone: 789-8108
Connecticut Natural Food Mart - 575 Washington Ave. North Haven, 234-2162
Supermarkets throughout the area