First Harvest

Here it is — my first basket of greens — this is Senza Testa from Seeds of Italy. I love this strange green — it grows like a weed, is slightly bitter, a little fuzzy, and really nice. I cooked these with some onion, chile, garlic and vermouth. Then I finished it off with some of my Milk Lady’s delicious yellow Jersey cream and ate it over pasta.

I also harvested this crate of broccoli rabe — both the Cima di Rapa Quarantina – Broccoli Rabe and the Cima di Rapa Sessantina. I’ve planted both of these at the same time the last few years, and although the Quarantina comes in slightly ahead of the Sessantina, they usually run about neck and neck. In past years I’ve waited too long to harvest the broccoli rabe and it’s gotten woody. This year, I harvested early, while the stalks were still juicy and I tried something new — I didn’t pull out the whole plant, like I’ve done before, but cut them back in hopes that I might get another harvest. We’ll see. The broccoli rabe is so delicious. I might have to break out Laurie Colwin’s great roasted chicken with broccoli rabe over polenta from Home Cooking.