The Ruvo Group — broccoli rabe, rapini, broccoletti, and their close relations — originated in Europe and carries particular significance in Italian cooking, where it has been sautéed, braised, and folded into pasta and antipasto for centuries. The plants grow to about a foot tall in full sun to light shade, preferring fertile, moist, well-drained soil and the cooler temperatures of spring and early autumn. Hardy from zone 3 through 10, the group is unusually adaptable in climate terms, making it useful across a wide range of gardens.

The edible portion consists of small clusters of buds that should be harvested just before the flowers open — at that moment the flavor is at its most nuanced, bitter and bright without being harsh. Seeds can go in early spring for a spring harvest of young greens, or in midsummer for mature fall plants. The leaves carry the same zesty bitterness as the buds and the stems, which means the whole plant can be cooked at once. A brief blanching before sautéing with garlic and oil softens the bitterness while preserving the depth of flavor that makes rapini one of the most characterful vegetables in the kitchen garden. Bees visit the yellow flowers if the plant is allowed to bolt.