Broccoli rabe

Broccoli rabe, garlic, salt
leftover cicherchie
green salad with avocados and scallions

RAPINI (also known, says Wikipedia, as Broccoli Rabe (or Raab), Broccoletti, Broccoli di Rape, Cime di Rapa, Rappi, Friarielli (in Naples), and Grelos):

The plant is a member of the Brassiceae tribe of the Brassicaceae, whose taxonomy is very difficult (Lysak et al. 2005). Rapini is classified scientifically as Brassica rapa subspecies rapa (USDA ARS-GRIN), in the same subspecies as the turnip, but has had various other designations, including Brassica rapa ruvo, Brassica rapa rapifera, Brassica ruvo, Brassica campestris ruvo.

You can see why Broccoli di Rape wouldn't sell well in American supermarkets. I remember when people used to mention rapeseed oil with a straight face, but I can't remember what they were talking about. In any case, call it what you will, the vegetable is a favorite of ours, and in season at the moment. Tonight Lindsey steamed it in a tiny bit of water, with crushed garlic, a little salt, and a few drops of olive oil. That's all it takes, really: the vegetable has a deep and complex flavor all its own. Clearly, by far the best part of the turnip is its foliage.

Afterward, we neared the end of the cicerchie, and the green salad had chunks of avocado in it, and chopped green onion, not garlic — since, after all, that had already shown up. Not that we evade garlic here.

Again, Nero d'Avila — what a fine, dark, flavorful wine!