Broccoli Rabe or bitter greens

Tis the season for Broccoli Rabe sometimes called bitter broccoli.  When we first arrived in Italy we had a branch lunch after church and we were each served a whole plate full of this stuff.  It looked awful and I was really surprised to find that I liked it.  Paul was not so fortunate.  He hasn't acquired a taste for it yet.  But I have learned how they prepare it, and today, I went to the store and bought my first bunch of the season.

The stems are really the only thing similar in taste to the familiar type of broccoli which also grows well here, but comes out later in the season.

The way they cook it in Italy is:

Heat 3-4 tablespoons of olive oil in a skillet.  Add a chopped garlic clove or two and then add a pinch of peperoncini ( hot red pepper flakes).  Heat til almost smoking hot.  Then add your washed  ( no need to dry) bitter broccoli and stir fry for  5 minutes or so and then add a few tablespoons of water, turn down the heat to low medium, cover and steam for 15-20 minutes.  Stir occasionally.  Add salt if you like at the end of cooking time.

The Italians don't put butter on their vegetables.  And there is no need to.  This is really good.  I hope I can find bitter broccoli in the states.  They also add cooked bitter broccoli to their pizza along with mashed potatoes and sausage.  It sounds weird but it's my favorite type of pizza.

Strawberries have just come to the stores this week too.  So here is my lunch today.  I say  "my lunch", because Anziano Scherbel would never eat this unless he was being served it by a non member!

The container of nuts, that you see on my kitchen table came from an investigator family who grow everything.  These are a combination of walnuts, hazel nuts and almonds.  The lemons came from our landlord, and the pumpkin and oranges came from another family we know.  The produce is amazing here in this part of Italy.  We are very blessed to eat so well!