Is rapini about to steal kale’s spotlight?
Produce marketer cooks up dozens of interesting ways to prepare this bitter green
Rapini, a.k.a. broccoli rabe, is out to “rabe” kale of its superfood status.
To achieve this feat, marketers for D’Arrigo Brothers’ Andy Boy brand in Salinas, Calif., have cooked up dozens of new ways to prepare the former wild mustard green, which the original Andy Boy domesticated back in the 1930s.
Until last week, I’d only prepared rapini using the traditional Italian method. Throw the dark, leafy greens in boiling salted water for a few minutes to mellow their bracing bitterness, then drain and quickly sauté the bedraggled stalks in a liberal amount of olive oil with garlic, finishing with a pinch of salt and red chili flakes.
D’Arrigo sales specialist Claudia Pizarro-Villalobos says the recipe campaign has definitely helped broaden rapini’s appeal. She’s especially excited about Andy Boy’s latest smoothie, which pairs the bitter green with almond butter, hemp seed, almond milk and dates.
The biggest revelation for me was discovering that 10 minutes in the oven transforms rapini into chips that not only taste better than pricey kale chips, but slip deliciously into recipes such as warm sweet potato salad or baked pasta with no preboiling required.
This powerful green adds a bold flavour to classic Italian recipes such as hearty pasta with sausage. In Woodbridge, massive porchetta sandwiches come garnished with blanched rapini stems to cut the richness of the meat. Name game Rapini may resemble broccoli with its leafy stems and small florets, but it’s more closely related to turnip greens and 100 times more bitter. Italian relatives include cime di rapa (turnip top) and broccoletti. Pizarro- Villalobos says the D’Arrigos named their “new” crop broccoli rabe to negotiate the same freight rate as their regular broccoli crop. Super nutritious Rapini contains more iron and fibre than kale, twice the zinc of Swiss chard (to boost immunity and fight colds), and beats spinach as a source of calcium. It’s low in calories and high in Vitamin A, the anti-wrinkle vitamin. At nearly 93 per cent water, it also helps us feel full longer. Buy and store
Choose bright green fresh-looking stalks with no yellow leaves.
To store, remove twist tie and loosen stems. Wrap ends lightly in a damp paper towel and refrigerate, unwashed, in a perforated plastic bag for three to five days. Prep
The entire rapini stem is edible and surprisingly tender. It’s usually served cooked.
Trim about 1/2-inch (1 cm) off the bottom and discard any thick or tough stems. Wash and spin dry.
Blanch: Bring a pot of water, enough to cover the greens, to a rolling boil. Add salt and trimmed rapini stalks. To maintain the mustardy kick, blanch 10 seconds then transfer to ice water to stop the cooking. If you prefer rapini mellow and tender, cook 2 to 4 minutes. Don’t overcook as stalks turn mushy quickly. Drain and refrigerate up to 4 days.
Grill: Blanch rapini and pat dry. Coat well with oil. Arrange on a hot rack over medium heat and grill until seared, not charred, 4 to 5 minutes. Turn and brown second side 3 to 4 minutes. Serve with fresh lemon slices and freshly ground black pepper.
Rapini chips: Preheat oven to 300 F/150 C. Chop leaves and florets from a bunch of rapini into 1-inch (2.5 cm) pieces. Toss with 2 tbsp (30 mL) olive oil and 2 tbsp (30 mL) lemon juice to coat. Spread evenly on large cookie sheet and grind fresh black pepper over top. Bake 8 to 10 minutes. Remove tray from oven, turn chips and bake another 3 to 4 minutes; be sure they don’t burn. Remove from oven and sprinkle with grated parmesan cheese. Serve
Pair rapini with robust flavours such as garlic, ginger, lemon, olives, capers and chiles.
Add its bitter edge to mild fish, eggs and potato dishes.
Check out the Andy Boy website for more tasty recipes.
Rapini Black Bean Quesadillas
3 Star Tested 1/2 bunch rapini (broccoli rabe), leaves and thin stems only 1 tbsp (15 mL) extra virgin olive oil 2 tsp (10 mL) lime or lemon juice 1small clove garlic, pressed or minced Pinch each salt and red chili flakes 4 tsp (20 mL) olive oil for frying 4 whole wheat tortillas (8 to 9-inch/20-22 cm.) 2 cups (500 mL) coarsely grated Monterey Jack or cheddar cheese (6 oz/180 g) 1 cup (250 mL) frozen corn niblets, thawed 1 cup (250 mL) canned black beans, drained and rinsed Place rapini leaves in a bowl and tear into bite-size pieces. In a small bowl, whisk oil, lime juice, garlic, salt and chili flakes. Massage into leaves with your fingers.
Heat 1 tsp (5 mL) oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Place one tortilla in pan and layer a quarter of the rapini, cheese, corn and black beans on one side. Fold over the other side and press down with a spatula.
Cook 5 minutes or until bottom is golden. Flip carefully and cook another 3 minutes or until cheese melts and pastry is crisp and golden. Transfer to cutting board, let sit for a minute then cut into three wedges. Repeat with remaining tortillas.
Makes 4 servings. Cynthia David is a Toronto-based food and travel writer who blogs at cynthia-david.com