Ingredients
handful mustard greens or rapa
1-2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 Tbsp olive oil
juice of 1 lemon or other vinegar
salt and freshly ground black pepper
parmesan cheese, optional
extras-
1 chilli, chopped
your favourite olives
other cheese – fetta, pecorino
crusty sourdough
Summary
Mustard greens, sinapa, and rapa are vibrant, punchy Italian brassicas and the winter season is upon us with gorgeous armfuls being harvested from Joe’s Garden in Coburg. Use them much like any robust green leaf – like kale or chard. Cooking them simply with garlic and lemon is enough.
The leaves are quite peppery when they’re raw, so they do make a great addition to any raw green salad, though their flavour is a bit milder when cooked. You could make this into a field-style mustard greens sandwich, or sauté a batch to have with scrambled eggs or a simple pasta.
Quick garlic rapa or mustard greens
Wash your mustard or rapa leaves well, and trim off any particularly thick stems. (You could sauté these separately or add to something with a longer cooking time). Slice or rip up the leaves into inch strips or small chunks.
Gently heat olive oil in a pan and stir in the garlic to warm. After a few minutes add the greens. The water remaining on the leaves from rinsing should be enough to keep the pan moist. Sprinkle a little more on if the pan seems dry. Stir for a few minutes until the leaves have softened and are just turning a bright green colour. Season well with salt and pepper and take off the heat.
Drizzle with lemon juice or your favourite vinegar. Throw in some of your favourite olives if you like. Good cheese on top, a little fresh chilli, and a few slices of crusty sourdough should do the trick.
