Date: Mon, 9 Oct 1995 15:34:35 EDT

From: Larry Horn LHORN[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]YALEVM.CIS.YALE.EDU

Subject: Re: Polk salad and rampy stuff



Bruce Southard writes



My understanding of ramp is as Bethany described it: an onion-like plant

which gives one very bad breath. The plant rape, I believe, is more

along the lines of a "green"; that is, something sort of like mustard

greens. So, I can't see hw the two could be the same.



Right; they're entirely distinct. Rape [RAH-pay], or broccoli rabe [as in

'rob'], or rabe [ditto], or rapini (as it's often called around here, which I

assume is because that's its Italian name), is a deliciously bitter version of

broccoli with thin, edible stalks, great parboiled and tossed with olive oil

and garlic, or sauteed with olive oil and garlic (grated Parmesan and/or lemon

optional), or cooked Chinese style.

I can only second the comment of my Szechuan cookbook that bemoans the fact

that such a wonderful food has such an unfortunate name--sort of like "dolphin"

for that fish now usually called Mahi-Mahi: taboo avoidance strikes again.

No relation to the onion family, with no disrespect intended. (Some of my best

friends...)



--Larry