Spigarello: Another Mysterious Green In Our CSA Haul

Part of the appeal of a CSA is the element of surprise. One never knows what unusual vegetable will appear. Last week's share contained a bunch of Spigarello. This plant, native to Southern Italy, is related to broccoli and can be used in salads and pasta.

As I packed the bunches into members' bags, I had to ask Farmer Rich what prompted him to grow this leafy green. His reply, "We liked the way it looked in the catalog." And there I was thinking he had sampled it somewhere, had fancied its flavor and sought it out the seeds for planting. Not my romanticized version but it would have to do.

I took my bunch, chopped up the leaves and sauteed them with olive oil, Niman Ranch uncured ham, garlic and a touch of hot pepper. I used this as a sauce for pasta.


My husband took one look at his dinner and said, "Pasta with Weeds", his usual reaction to many of the esoteric greens I end up sauteing. Not sure if he was so fond but I would love to try them another way if more are in the offing.