Early Spring Rapini
Brassica rapa var ruvo
Bright green leaves and flower buds resembling broccoli, though they never quite form a head the way broccoli does. Broccoli raab is actually not a broccoli at all, but rather closely related to the turnip. It's a vegetable with zesty, slightly bitter, almost mustard-like flavor that is popular in Italian and Asian dishes. Delicious stir fried, sauteed, broiled, or steamed. A common way to prepare raab, is to blanch quickly in boiling water, drain, then saute briefly until tender in olive oil and minced garlic. It tastes similar to broccoli, with a bit of a bite. Broccoli raab is another super nutritious green, containing vitamins A, B, C, K, iron, magnesium, calcium, zinc, and omega 3 fatty acid.
Broccoli raab is also commonly known as rapini, an Italian specialty vegetable, is grown for the florets or flower bud shoots. The florets have both mustard green and broccoli flavors with a hint of bitterness. Plants grow up to 30" tall. Harvest at any stage depending on culinary use grown for microgreens to full maturity.
| Days to germination | 4-7 days |
| Days to maturity | 40-50 days |
| Life cycle | Annual |
| Plant time | January - March |
| Spacing | 12-24 in. |
| Sun | Full sun |
| Soil temperature | 50-80 degrees F |
| Optimum soil P.H | 6.0-6.5 |
| Height | 24-30 in. |
| Harvest | Harvest the whole plant when the sprouts are 1-2 inches across, just as they begin to flower |