Growing Japanese Vegetables: Broccoli Rabe Blossom 菜花

This a great vegetable for early winter cropping in a cool climate (like Canberra).  It is a favourite in Japanese cooking for steaming an in pickles ( 漬物 ). The plant is known in Italian cuisine as Cime di Rapa.   Plant from seed in late March to early April in rich soil and it will start producing buds in late May to early July.  It is a fairly resistant to cabbage moth butterfly grub infestation as long as it is well fed and kept watered.

When the plants are small and leafy the whole plant should be tender enough to eat; that is, stems and leaves and any flower heads or buds.  It is rich in Beta-carotene and has a rich flavour like Chinese broccoli but with just a hint of mustard.  It will combine well with stronger flavoured vegetables including garlic, onion and mushrooms.

In Japanese the vegetable is called Nabana ( なばな  )  or Nanohana （ななはな ) which describes the blossom buds.

Nabana growing in my garden in early June.

Here's one of my favourite Japanese recipes for Nabana. The combination of the toasty flavours of the tofu and the tangy mustard works very well.

Rape blossoms in mustard dressing [ 菜の花のからし和え ]

Ingredients: (for two people as part of a traditional Japanese meal.)

2-3 small bunches of nabana
250 g thin deep fried tofu (firm variety)
25 ml light shoyu
2 teaspoons Japanese mustard (smooth or grainy)
50 ml dashi (konbu- or katsuodashi)
1 tbsp mirin

Grill tofu on high heat until toasted , then set aside to keep warm.  Mix mustard, shoyu, mirin and dashi in a small bowl and heat.  Trim and cut nabana into short lengths (about 5 cm) and steam for no more than 3 minutes.  Toss dressing with nabana and finely sliced tofu.  Serve.