Cooking with Flowering Cavolo Nero

Yes, you can eat flowering cavolo nero.

I was surprised to see our cavolo nero plants starting to flower in the garden. This is the first time we’ve grown them, and I assumed the plant was finished once it began to bolt. Luckily my neighbour James told me that the flowering shoots are not only edible but actually quite delicate and delicious.

So instead of pulling the plants out, I picked a basket of the tender shoots and blossoms and cooked them two different ways.

The first dish was a quick pasta. With the rest of the harvest I made another dish inspired by the spinach with chickpeas tapas we loved in Sevilla.

Black Bean Pasta with Cavolo Nero Blossoms

Ingredients

1 generous handful cavolo nero shoots with blossoms (If cavolo nero blossoms are not available, use cavolo nero or kale leaves with the central rib removed.)

1 portion black bean noodles (or other pasta)

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

½ teaspoon pul biber (Aleppo pepper)

freshly grated parmesan, to serve

salt

Method

1. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Blanch the cavolo nero shoots for about 1 minute, then transfer to a bowl of cold water.

2. Drain well, squeeze out the excess water and roughly chop.

3. Cook the black bean noodles according to the package instructions, feel free to use the cavalo nero blanching water.

4. Heat the olive oil in a pan and sauté the garlic with the pul biber until fragrant and lightly golden.

5. Add the chopped cavolo nero and sauté for a couple of minutes.

6. Toss with the cooked noodles and finish with grated parmesan.

Sevilla-Inspired “Spinach” with Chickpeas (Using Cavolo Nero Blossoms)

Ingredients

1 generous handful cavolo nero shoots with blossoms (If cavolo nero blossoms are not available, use kale leaves with the central rib removed or spinach.)

1/4 cup cooked chickpeas

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 cloves garlic, sliced

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

½ teaspoon cumin seeds

salt, to taste

Method

1. Blanch the cavolo nero shoots briefly in salted water, then cool in cold water. Drain, squeeze dry and chop.

2. Heat olive oil in a pan and sauté the garlic with the smoked paprika and cumin seeds until fragrant.

3. Add the chickpeas and cook for a minute or two.

4. Stir in the chopped cavolo nero and cook until everything is warmed through and well combined.

5. Taste and adjust seasoning before serving.

Both dishes were a reminder that when kale starts flowering, the plant isn’t finished yet. In fact, it might just be entering one of its most delicious stages.