Jake planted a load of “rape greens” in our fall garden and we’ve been eating on them practically every night for a month.
I’d never heard of rape greens. The taste is reminiscent of kale with a soft lettuce-like texture.
I haven’t been able to find any recipes calling for rape greens because I get the feeling not many people have heard of them.
Gee, do you think the name has anything to do with it? This green suffers from a serious PR problem. The “rape green advisory council” or some such needs to get on a name change stat!
I propose “consensual greens.” What do you think?
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I know that canola oil was renamed, coming from the rape plant, because the rape seed oil wasn’t deemed market ready.
I had thought that rape was a grass-weed, though. I know wheat farmers contend with persistent weeds like cheat (a grass), and I kinda figured that rape was just another grass-type grain plant, similar to oats and wheat.
I just looked it up on wikipedia(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rapeseed) “Rapeseed (Brassica napus), also known as rape, oilseed rape, rapa, rappi, rapaseed (and, in the case of one particular group of cultivars, canola), is a bright yellow flowering member of the family Brassicaceae (mustard or cabbage family). The name derives from the Latin for turnip, rāpa or rāpum, and is first recorded in English at the end of the 14th century.”
A cabbage named for the turnip. Huh.
Yeah, turnips and radishes are both in the same family as cabbage.
Similar to how cumin, celery and parsley are in the same family as carrots.
We just get used to thinking of foods as spices, leafy vegetables and roots.
I had no idea rape greens are related to canola oil. You DO learn something new everyday.
Perhaps someone from the Canola Advisory Council will help (canola oil comes from rapeseed).
Out of curiosity, I looked up the name on Etymology Online. Apparently it comes from the Latin word for turnip, and there’s a whole class (family?) of plants that fall under the “rape” umbrella.
I’ve seen it referenced in several different books – seems like many of them were set in England – but it was never discussed as a food source, just as magnificent fields of yellow flowers. (which always makes me think of Dr. Zhivago.)
I had no idea canola was a brassica. Learn something new every day. It must have monster seeds compared to it’s broccoli (rapini!) and cabbage kin.
Whatever it’s called, saute it hot with some garlic and/or mushrooms, add some salt and good olive oil, and gimme a call because it’s dinner time. Or breakfast – poached egg on top? Yes, please.
Rats, now I’m hungry.
“Consensual.” Made me laugh. Thanks!
The photo of June is precious.
Those are some beautiful greens. I notice there are no holes in the leaves of the rape from worms or beetles…so what did you spray on them?
Is that the same as broccoli raab?
Yes it is. Italians eat it. A good place to look for recipies would be an Italian cook book.
Rape makes fabulous chicken feed when you get tired of eating your consensual greens every night…especially when the stuff starts going to seed.
I just saw rape greens used on Chopped this week.
Just picked up 2 big bags of rape greens at the farmers market this morning. I can’t wait to use them.
Rape is common in southern Africa. It’s very good with groundnut powder. Yum!
where can I buy the seeds
Fortune,
I Googled “rape greens seed”, and found Johny’s Seeds has them. They have, that is, a winter forage crop for livestock and deer, ready to pasture six weeks after planting, a “Dwarf Essex Rape” variety.
Then there is this one. http://www.evergreenseeds.com/edrapyucho.html
“Edible Yu Choy” sounds like what we are looking for. They list seven different variety, for use of the flower stems on some to fast-producing or year round varieties.
This site explains that yu choy sum (or yu choy sin, above, I *think*) is when you use the tender flower stem. Yu choy is when you use the leaves. They only list two varieties, but describe extending the season.
http://www.kitazawaseed.com/seeds_yu_choy_sum.html
Luck. I am picking up the extended, heat tolerant version from the first site.