bitter greens

April 17, 2020

Braised broccoli rabe is Italian soul food. It wasn't until I was an adult that I realized not everybody ate it. What I love is its bitterness. So does my mother -- one of the few things we agree on. My mother made it all the time growing up. No recipe. Just knowing how to do it through her DNA. She cooked all the meals when I was a child, never sitting down to eat. Instead, she'd nibble from the pot, grabbing a forkful of tender oily greens while we ate on plates.

When I take her to the supermarket, I always get two broccoli rabes, one for her and one for me. I imagine her cooking hers in her big house, emptier now since my father died last year, while I cook mine in our kitchen which feels a little smaller every day. I always intend it to be a side dish for a real meal -- my partner actually doesn't like it much -- but I usually find myself eating it out of the pot, standing up over the stove, while he's got his plate at the kitchen table. Only now, writing this, do I see the parallel. How I enact the rituals my mother taught me through this food, two small comforts.

Take these bitter greens and transform them into something satisfying, delicious, and cheap with just a few ingredients. The recipe is simple but perfectly balanced. Rich with oil, sharp with garlic. Bright lemon, hot pepper.

1 bunch broccoli rabe
A few garlic cloves, thinly sliced
Olive oil
Crushed red/hot pepper flakes
Lemon wedge (optional)

Wash the broccoli rabe. Cut off the bottom portion and then cut into inch or so pieces. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Toss in the broccoli rabe. If you want to be fancy, throw the stems in first, let them cook a couple minutes, and then put in the tender leaves and flowers. Or, just throw it all in at once. Cook for a couple minutes till it's bright green and softer.

Reserve about a cup of the cooking liquid. Drain the rest.

Heat a good couple tablespoons of olive oil in the same pot. Add garlic and hot pepper to taste. Let them cook for a few seconds. Throw in the cooked broccoli rabe and the reserved water. Turn to low and cook for a few minutes. Taste and adjust salt. Squeeze a wedge of lemon over before serving.

For a heartier meal, add a can of drained chickpeas or white beans. I love to eat this with good toasted bread. Or, I add some sausage and pasta for a whole meal.

Mary Rizzo lives and teaches in Newark, NJ, where she practices the arts of baking, cat-wrangling, sewing, and writing to varying degrees of success.