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Here’s a way of getting nutrient-packed broccoli rabe into something everyone loves. Make garlic bread using the greens and garlic butter. Nothing could be easier—or harder to resist.
If you keep a supply of broccoli rabe purée on hand, it takes no time at all to assemble. Make it peppery—or not; top the garlic butter with grated cheese—or not; and use a whole wheat loaf instead of white bread for greater nutritional value.
National Broccoli Day is March 22nd. (Some call it National We Love Broccoli Day.)
> The history of broccoli.
> The history of broccolini.
The difference between broccoli, broccoli rabe and broccolini is below.
RECIPE: BROCCOLI RABE GARLIC BREAD
This recipe is by Julia della Croce, Andy Boy’s Chef-in-Residence and one of America’s foremost authorities on Italian cooking. She is a James Beard Award winning author and has written more than 15 cookbooks.
Prep time is 25 minutes, cook time is 5–10 minutes.
Ingredients For 8 Servings
1 loaf good quality fresh ciabatta or baguette
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
5 cloves garlic, finely minced
6 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature
1/4 cup broccoli rabe (photos #2 and #6), puréed
Freshly ground black pepper or hot red pepper flakes, to taste
Fine sea salt to taste
Preparation
1. PREHEAT the oven to 350°F.
2. WARM the olive oil and garlic in a small saucepan over low heat until the garlic is softened and aromatic, about 4 minutes.
3. BEAT the butter, broccoli rabe purée, garlic oil and salt until well blended.
4. SLICE the loaf in half lengthwise, using a bread knife. Spread the broccoli rabe butter liberally on both sides of the cut surfaces. Reassemble the loaf and wrap it in aluminum foil. Bake until hot and aromatic, 10-15 minutes.
5. CUT into 1-inch slices and serve hot or warm.
Find more recipes at AndyBoy.com.
BROCCOLI VS. BROCCOLI RABE VS. BROCCOLINI: THE DIFFERENCE
While they all share a similar name, broccoli, broccoli rabe, and broccolini are quite different in terms of taste, texture, and botanical classification. In brief:
Broccoli is a thick-stemmed vegetable with dense florets (photo #5).
Broccolini is a sweeter, tender hybrid of broccoli and kai-lan, often called Chinese broccoli but actually a Chinese chard (and also a cruciferous vegetable. It looks like small broccoli florets atop long, slender stems. Some people mistake it for a young growth of broccoli. It isn’t.
Broccoli rabe is a leafy, bitter green closer to turnips than broccoli. That’s why the leaves look like turnip greens—broad and flat—and why the vegetable is also called Italian turnip and turnip broccoli (photos #2 and #6). It’s also called broccoli rape, raab (pronounced rob), rapini. Broccoli rabe is not related to either broccoli or broccolini. It’s descended from a wild herb that originated in the Mediterranean.
There’s also:
Broccoli di cicco, an heirloom variety dating back to 1890 (photo #4). It’s also referred to as de ciccio, de cicco, and di cicco.
[6] Broccoli rabe, about to be roasted.
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[1] Better than garlic bread: garlic bread with broccoli rabe (photos #1 and #5 © Andy Boy).
[2] Broccoli rabe, also called rapini (photos #2 and #4 © Good Eggs).
[3] Broccolini (photo © White Rabbit | Moscow).
[4] Broccoli di cicco or di ciccio, an heirloom variety of broccoli.
[5] Broccoli, an American favorite (photo © California Olive Ranch).
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