BLOG.JESSIEKEITH.COM: Garden Fresh Broccoli Raab in December

Working Mom's Garden Blog
Gardening with kids is messy but gratifying. This blog is largely about gardening with limited time and
two kids in tow while fighting to cultivate an unreasonably large garden. Short cuts are essential, weeds par for the course, and mud a given.

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In 1995, Jessie became a Master Gardener, accepted a job as a landscape designer and had a farmer's market booth selling garden flowers. The following year she attended Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana where she graduated with honors in 1999 with a BS in Public Horticulture. At Purdue, she worked for two years as garden intern at The Purdue University Horticulture Gardens and was mentored by Dr. Harrison Flint and Dr. Michael Dana. She also served as undergraduate teacher’s assistant in woody and herbaceous plant identification and introductory horticulture classes.

In 1999, she accepted a yearlong position as the curatorial intern at Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square, PA under the tutelage of celebrated curator and author, Dr. Tomasz Anisko. Graduate school at Michigan State University followed. There she studied systematic botany and completed her MS degree in the winter of 2003. Shortly after graduation, she accepted an internship at The American Gardener magazine, the journal of The American Horticultural Society, where she received guidance from editor-in-chief, David Ellis, and distinguished scientist and horticulturist, Dr. H. Marc Cathey.

Jessie taught horticulture for two years at Williamson Free School in Media, Pennsylvania before pursuing a career in garden writing and plant photography. She began to work as content editor for Learn2grow.com in 2007 and has written articles for publications such as The Old House Journal, The Green Scene, What’s Up! Annapolis? and The Herbarist. She most recently served as one-time horticultural editor for Wilder Quarterly.

Today, Jessie lives in Wilmington, Delaware with her husband Knut, daughters Franziska and Gabriella, two geriatric cats, and thousands of garden plants.

BLOG.JESSIEKEITH.COM: Garden Fresh Broccoli Raab in December

Garden Fresh Broccoli Raab in December

The wild, bitter flavor of broccoli raab is even better when its harvested straight from the garden. In late August I planted ten plants that began to produce crisp, leafy flowerheads by October. Unlike my spring planting or broccoli raab, which bolted after only a month of production, these have continued to thrive and produce in the mild November, now December, weather. The chilly, mild temperatures have also yielded stalks with a sweeter, less bitter flavor.

Oddly enough, broccoli raab (Brassica rapa (Ruvo Group)) is more closely related to turnips than true broccoli (Brassica oleracea (Italica Group)), but like both relatives it thrives in cool weather. I'm sold on growing this easy garden vegetable in long, cool fall rather than spring. In Delaware, spring temperatures can heat up fast--not a good thing for bolters.

Today's harvest gave me just enough for a family sized dish of pasta. Maybe pasta with walnut sauce and broccoli raab (http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/29/health/nutrition/29recipehealth.html)? Sounds good to me.