Broccoli Rabe vs. Broccoli Calabrese

I'm enjoying broccoli Calabrese for the first time this year. It's setting sprouts and they're marvelous sauteed with garlic and olive oil.

I just received some bonus seeds of broccoli rabe in a trade. I've never even laid eyes on it before. I think I might have time for a spring crop and I'm wondering if it is worth it. I have limited space and have some more broccoli seedlings I could plant instead.

The brassicas are health food, all have anti-cancer properties and sprouting broccoli is the most potent. I want to keep some kind of broccoli going as long as possible which is early May here. So do any of you grow the rabe and how does it compare? Thanks.

I've been considering growing some of these. I also will be growing some red stem pok choy sum this spring.

Peggy

Broccoli raab would be MY last choice. I just didn't care for it, although it grew well. DW had the same opinion. Calabrese didn't do well in my garden, but i liked it a lot better than the raab type.
JMO,
Tom

twiggy, what kind of raab seeds did you get? Some of the varieties are more popular for their leaves, others are grown for their flower shoots.

As for me, broccoli raab is a turnip plant with a spokesperson. *grin (Mainly because of its recent popularity in the past 8-10 years in the US.) I grow turnip greens each year, thoughout the Fall and Winter, and let them flower in the early Spring. The unopened flowers (shoots) are what would be considered "raab" and they are delicious! The look like tiny heads of broccoli, or rather "florets".

I'd go ahead and sow your seeds if I were you, it's worth giving it a try.

Shoe

OK now that I've got the spelling right, I got some hits on google. Twice I saw mention that it could be bitter. That's the end of that. I don't do bitter.

The seeds are labeled Rapa Centroventina and I didn't get any specific info for that variety. If anyone wants these seeds, dmail me and they are yours.

This Calabrese I'm growing was a happy accident since I asked my daughter to pick me up some seeds and that's what she came back with. I was expecting the large head (normal) kind. It puts out plenty of leaves which are excellent sauteed and in the soup pot.

Shoe you gave it your best shot, but no. I'm heading out now to plant some cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower seedlings that I didn't have room for earlier. Now that my beloved toms, peppers and squash are history I've got some space. Thank you.

Hmm...you may want to keep those seeds, the Centovina is apparently a hard to find variety and is one of the most flavorful, known for its "texture and taste". I know the flower shoots that I eat aren't bitter until they age so perhaps the same is true of Raab, if not picked on time you get bitterness. Check out this description on your Centroventina:
http://www.gourmetseed.com/c=XDURCks8UhTXRV62bDg3XdRXM/category/gourmet_seed.vegetable_seed.broccoli_raab___rapini/

But I don't blame ya for going the broccoli/cabbage route, you'll end up with more food per space probably!

Shoe

Bitter depends on the tongue of the taster. Broccoli (and all cabbages) in general has a bitter and sweet tastes predominating.

If you have room, try planting a couple of broccoli raab to see if you like them. We like it with olive oil, garlic, salt & black pepper and a sprinkle of red pepper flakes if served as a vegetable. Most of the time, I add the broccoli raab to cannelinni beans. We soak the beans overnight, then cook them with a few cloves of garlic, bay leaves and olive oil, adding some thyme, rosemary or herbes de provence during the last ten minutes of cooking the beans. The chopped broccoli raab goes in when the beans are done and cooked a few minutes more to soften them.

Broccolo Spigariello is another cousin of broccoli that is very good. I see that Gourmet Seeds is carrying this now too. I had ordered mine from seeds of Italy.

Alright, I'll try just a few to check it out. I'd hate to miss something really good and have always said I'd try ANYTHING once.

I have enough seeds to share with a couple people if anyone else wants to try it. I'm not sure but, considering the source, I think they may be OP. Step right up and get your start right here. lol.

I, too, tried raab and did not care for it. Our supermarkets here used to carry a product they labeled "aspiration" which looked like a raab but tasted like a broccoli/celery cross that was very good. Unfortunately, it was very expensive and did not take off. It rarely makes it to the stores these days here.

Does anybody know what this is and if there are seeds available anywhere? I'd like to try this in my garden, but could never find seeds under that name.

Thanks

While seeds for " Aspiration" are not readily available, there are several hybrids in the same class. It is a cross between broccoli and chinese kale, sometimes called broccolini. Sweet Baby (Osborne), Happy Rich (Johnny's) are two cultivars.

I Googled and got several links- here's a good one-
http://www.cnn.com/FOOD/key.ingredient/broccolini/

Just saw this thread. Our problem is that we can't seem to grow broccoli raab well! We never get the beautiful bunches that I can buy in the grocery stores around here. We love it sautéed with garlic in olive oil and served with Italian sausages over pasta. Around here, the places that make their own sausage often make a variety that includes broccoli raab. It's also delicious sautéed in olive oil with garlic and then added to scrambled eggs. I'm not fond of bitter either, and maybe this is a taste that grows on you, but we think it's wonderful!

I dawdled around and decided to save the rabe seeds for fall this year. That was the right decision since the others I transplanted at the time didn't grow much until this month and that's too late. The Calabrese started bolting several weeks ago. I would not have had time to give it a real trial. I've just about decided that all cole crops need fall planting here. The Calabrese did well and I'll do that again.