Menu for the week of April 26
Broccoli Rabe also known as Rapini
With its deeply ruffled leaves and demure green florets, broccoli rabe (pronounced “rahb”) looks like a kinder, gentler broccoli. But it’s far from mild-mannered. This bold member of the Brassica, or cabbage, genus has a bitter edge similar to that of its cousin, mustard greens. A staple in the Italian kitchen, broccoli rabe shines as a
counterpoint to starchy, sweet, and spicy foods (think: pasta and garlic), and it makes as much of an impact on your health as it does on your taste buds.
Health Benefits
The big news with broccoli rabe is its cancer-preventing potential. Like all Brassicas, it’s a rich source of glucosinolates, which your body converts to cancer-fighting
sulforophanes and indoles. Studies show that these compounds are particularly effective against stomach, lung, and colon cancers, and promising research hints at
protective effects against breast and prostate cancers as well.
From Wholeliving.com: Power Foods: Broccoli Raab
I grew up eating broccoli raab . In my family, we love it blanched in salted water, well drained and sautéed in garlic and oil. As a side dish, it is perfect with sausage, grilled or broiled chicken, pork chops or fish. The next day we used to eat the leftover broccoli raab on an open faced toasted cheese sandwich, made with crusty Italian bread and mozzarella. I‘ve always loved it; as a young graduate, living in New York, I remember giving broccoli raab recipes to other shoppers in our corner grocery store on the Upper West Side, as it was still not widely known in the U.S.
This is a typical recipe from the Italian region of Puglia
Broccoli Raab with Orecchiette (little ears) It’s not that absurd to think that Italians in Puglia have a pasta called “little ears” when you realize that
the “ linguine” we are accustomed to are actually “little tongues”!
Ingredients
1 lb Orecchiette Pasta
1 bunch broccoli raab
4 anchovies
Hot pepper flakes
1-2 cloves garlic
1/2 cup of good extra virgin olive oil
½ cup kalamata olives (optional)
½ cup grated pecorino cheese
Preparation
1. Clean the rapini and remove some of the leaves and rough stems.
2. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. (It is best to use coarse sea
salt). Throw the orecchiette into the pot.
3. After five minutes add the broccoli raab to the pot of boiling pasta.
(Save some water to add later if the pasta is dry.)
4. Meanwhile, in a separate pan saute the garlic in the olive oil with the
hot peppers and anchovies. Add the optional kalamata olives.
5. Remove the garlic before it browns and take sauce off flame.
6. When the orecchiette are done, drain the pasta and saute briefly
together with the sauce in the pan.
7. Serve immediately with pecorino cheese to pass at the table. Serves
six.
Swiss Chard and Kale Torte with Raisins and Pine Nuts
Adapted from a recipe in Marcella Hazan’s Essentials of Italian
Cooking
Lovely for a Sunday Spring Time Brunch
1 Bunch Swiss Chard and 1 Bunch Kale
Salt
Extra virgin olive oil, ¼ cup for cooking the veggies plus 1 tablespoon for
greasing and topping the pan
2/3 cup onion chopped fine
1 cup freshly grated parmesan
2 eggs lightly beaten
¼ cup pine nuts
1/3 cup raisins
Soaking in enough water to just cover
Black pepper freshly ground
A 9 ½ or 10 inch springform baking pan
2/3 cup unflavored bread crumbs, lightly toasted
1. Remove the tough stems and spine from the kale and chop the kale
into bite size pieces.
2. Chop the chard and chard stems into bite size pieces. Soak both
greens in a bowl of cold water, changing water several times until the
water runs completely clean.
3. Bring to boil 1 quart of water, salt liberally and drop in the chopped
greens. Cook until tender, about 10 minutes. Drain and set aside.
4. When cool enough to handle, squeeze as much moisture out of the
greens as you can. Chop greens very fine – into pieces no bigger than
¼ inch – using a knife not the food processor.
5. Preheat oven to 350.
6. Choose a saute pan that can subsequently contain all the greens. Put
in ¼ cup olive oil and the chopped onion, turn on the heat to medium.
Cook the onion, stirring frequently, until it becomes colored a light nut
brown.
7. Add the chopped greens and turn up the heat to high. Cook, turning
the greens over frequently until it becomes difficult to keep them from
sticking to the bottom of the pan, then transfer the entire contents of
the pan to a bowl and set aside to cool.
8. When the greens have cooled to room temperature, add the grated
parmesan, the beaten eggs, and the pine nuts. Drain the raisins,
squeeze them dry in your hand, and add them to the bowl together
with a few grindings of pepper. Mix thoroughly until all ingredients are
evenly combined, and correct for salt and pepper.
9. Smear the bottom and sides of the spring form pan with about 1
tablespoon olive oil. Put in a little more than half the bread crumbs,
spreading them to cover the bottom and sides of the pan. Add the
chard mixture, leveling it off, but not pressing it hard. Top with the
remaining bread crumbs, and drizzle with about 1 tablespoon of olive
oil poured in a thin stream. Put the pan in the preheated oven and
bake for 40 minutes.
10. When you take the pan out, run a knife blade around the edge of the
torte, loosening it from the sides of the pan, then unlatch the spring
form hoop and remove it. After 5 or 6 minutes, use a spatula to loosen
the torte from the pan’s bottom section and slide it, without turning
it over, onto a serving platter. Serve at room temperature. Do not
refrigerate.
Baby Glazed Turnips
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 bunch baby turnips, peeled and halved
1 cup low sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth
Pinch of sugar
Pinch of sea salt
for garnish – 1 scallion and chopped fresh Italian parsley
Melt butter in small sauce pan, add turnips, stirring until well coated. Add broth and sugar and a small
pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer covered until turnips are just tender 10 – 15
minutes. Remove turnips when tender and continue to boil broth until liquid is reduced to a very small
amount about a ¼ of a cup. Return turnips to pan and continue to boil until turnips are glazed about 5
minutes longer.
Sprinkle with scallions and parsley.
These delicate baby white turnips are delicious simply steamed with their greens attached. They look
beautiful on the table with an array of fresh vegetables for dipping in various sauces.
Steamed baby turnips
Wash well, removing any grit and sand from roots and stems. You do not have to peel these turnips.
Discard any wilted, damaged or yellowed leaves. Place a steamer basket in a sauce pan with a tight
fitting lid, pour in water to 1 inch or so and heat the water to boiling.
Add the turnips and greens to the basket, cover and cook until just tender 8 – 10 minutes. Serve with
your choice of salt, melted butter a drizzle of olive oil or with a dash of vinegar or soy sauce or a squeeze
of fresh lemon.
