I've just sown some seeds of Cima di rapa (having seen it recommended in a gardening mag) - it's supposed to be like sprouting broccoli but much easier to grow. My soil doesn't seem to be suitable for brassicas so I thought I'd give this a go.
Has anyone tried it?
Yup. Tried sowing some in a large container - old windowbox - in the greenhouse in March for an early crop. Moved them outside when the weather improved. They took longer to mature because of the early sowing, but I've been eating them for about 2-3 weeks now.
Very easy. They've been steamed, stir-fried with ginger and garlic, and chopped up raw in salads (very nice) with a bit of balsamic dressing. The steamed greens I prefered with some extra seasoning/gravy or sauce...
I'll be sowing some more later on (outside). Wanted a taster first, since hadn't previously encountered this vegetable.
Thanks Gadfium - that's really encouraging, my mouth's watering.
The seeds are Italian (Franchi) so the instructions on the packet are "universal" - in other words I can't make head or tail of them. Can you tell me how tall the plants grow? And how far apart I should space them??
Thanks, much appreciated.
My cima di rapa is doing well--except that some other party is tucking into them too! I threw the seeds in straight into the ground during that hot spell last month and watered regularly.
Gadfium, did you experience this? No slime trail, but holes in some leaves.
I am so glad I planted cima di rapa! My husband is Italian and a dish with cima di rapa is the ultimate bribe for anything, even DIY! ;D
When you buy it from a shop (even in Italy) you have to prepare it, removing all the parts that are not tender enough--imagine going through 1 kilo of these stems individually! :P >:( (I cooked cima di rapa twice in the three years we lived there.)
But when you grow it yourself, there is no such labor! Only young tender stems. :D
It's really good with some garlic (and chili pepper if you like it), wilted in olive oil. Toss with pasta and lots of parmesan, salt and pepper.
A really wacky traditional dish--
Fry in olive oil, garlic (and chili pepper), SULTANAS (the weird bit), pine nuts, the cima di rapa. Season with salt and pepper. Exotic tasting.
Thanks for cooking ideas - am really looking forward to trying some
Quote from: Chrissie on May 30, 2006, 10:34:52
Thanks Gadfium - that's really encouraging, my mouth's watering.
The seeds are Italian (Franchi) so the instructions on the packet are "universal" - in other words I can't make head or tail of them. Can you tell me how tall the plants grow? And how far apart I should space them??
My instructions say
sow in well prepared fertile soil July/early August
Thin to 6-8"
Keep well watered
Use fleece to exclude fleas beetle/insects
Thinnings good in salad/stirs fries
Like those recipes! Have written them down for future use. :P
And it's good to know how you can eat them... I wasn't sure about the stems, some have been lovely - but the later ones have been a wee bit tough. I (now) realise I should have started harvesting earlier.
I haven't had any nibblers/holes in the leaves, but they are in a plastic container which has probably deterred slugs and snails. Flea beetles are another pest possibility.
Here is a picture (taken three weeks ago) showing the Cima Di Rapa windowbox in its outside location. It's a bit blurred but it's the only pic I have of them.
The plants are now - at maturity - standing 12-16" high.
I sowed the seeds fairly closely at 2-3" spacing, because this was an greenhouse early crop experiment, and just let them get on with it. The instructions on the seed packet (from www.vidaverde.co.uk) say:
QuoteCima di Rapa 40 - Sow in July or August for harvest 40 days later. Gently spicy! You can also sow in March in a polytunnel. Sow thinly into well prepared soil in July or early August. Thin to 6-8" apart. Keep well watered. Flea beetle sufferers try covering with fleece to exclude the insects. Thinnings are good in salads/stirfries. Pick the shoots just before the flowers open and cook as broccoli or in stirfries.
Just repeated flossie's post! Sorry.
So I guess you could try 2-3" initial spacing, then cull out the excess for early eating, whilst leaving the rest to reach full maturity? That way you'd get two harvest opportunities? What have other Cima di Rapa-ites done?
You can get different varieties of Cima di Rapa (40 day, 60 day), the longer maturing ones giving a more substantial harvest... it's a balance...
could the holes in leaves be flea beetle? i grew this plant last year, found it tasty in salad. it's a brassica though-flea beetles did the same to the leaves on my radishes.
I grew loads last autumn, what the deer didn't eat was delicious.
the holes would be flea beetles - like any other brassica this is tasty
btw, cime di rapa translates as 'turnip tops' - but if grown specifically for the tops not the turnips i guess this is a tastier leaf variety. neighbour tried growing regular turnips for the tops and they were nasty (says he)
Quote from: Svea on May 30, 2006, 15:02:38
the holes would be flea beetles - like any other brassica this is tasty
btw, cime di rapa translates as 'turnip tops' - but if grown specifically for the tops not the turnips i guess this is a tastier leaf variety. neighbour tried growing regular turnips for the tops and they were nasty (says he)
Navet de Nancy have delicious tops.
Great information, thanks everyone.
It looks as though I've sown mine too early (or too late!) - I wonder what the logic is behind those recommended sowing dates. Something to do with the Italian climate maybe? Or to avoid some rapacious beast?? Can't un-sow now, I'll see what happens.
to me the sowing dates look like for spinach, i.e. to prevent bolting in hot weather. sow in march is early enough - sow in august late enough for the heat not to affect the way the plant behaves
i did find that they rapidly went to seed if not picked regularly, certainly pick out the tops. they did go to seed quicker in middle of summer.
I only sowed mine - which were free with GYO magazine - on the 12th May but they germinated very quickly and are now about 2/3" high.....look pretty healthy but a few leaves do have holes in them!......oh they're in a big pot on my patio too!
mmmm those different ways of cooking sound scrummy :P so hope will continue to grow!
H.P.
i planted mine (also from GYO) on 14th May. They've just been under a fleece and have germinated well but only about 1" high. think we need a bit of warmth.
sowed another row today for some continuity ;D
Mine are through already and I only sowed them last Saturday morning. Will watch for them bolting as advised, thanks!
I've rigged up some netting to protect them from birds but no doubt the flea beetles will get through. Oh well, nice to have some protein with your greens... ;)