Available for the most part, on a year-round basis, although supplies do become weak during late spring and most of the summer, as it prefers cool weather and full sun. Also known as broccoli raab, rabe and Chinese flowering cabbage, this somewhat bitter green is loved by Italians, Chinese, and even a few Americans: Imagine that! With long, thin stalks that average 6” to 9” in length, with small green, broccoli-like florets atop, rapini has a bitter flavor, but with great character and presence. It may be blanched briefly before cooking to take out some of its “bite.” Enjoy steamed, sautéed, braised, boiled, fried and stir-fried.. Available in 24 or 12 bunch cases, with each bunch averaging about a half a pound, it is best kept cold: between 32-34 degrees F. You may cover with paper and top ice to prolong shelf life, and although it produces little ethylene gas itself, it is susceptible to it and should be kept away from produce that does. Product with yellow flowers is usable, and at times of the year it’s virtually unavoidable. This is because the fall variety, in particular, is a fast-flowering variety and flowers virtually overnight before it may be harvested. Yellow flowers are not an indication of the products’ quality, but moreover a matter of when it was harvested. There is a difference in flavor between flowering buds and unopened buds, of which you may be concerned.
