Category: Pro Tip

What’s up with raab?

By Devra Gartenstein & Rachel Linkhart

Raabs are vegetable teasers. Also known as rapini, raab is a young, flowering version of a vegetable in the cabbage family, like kale or broccoli or Brussels sprouts. It’s one of the first spring vegetables to show up, along with asparagus. Raabs have leaves and stems and flowers, which are all edible.


One of the simplest things to do with raabs is to cut them up, saute them in olive oil with onion (or leek), garlic, salt, and pepper. Then finish with a little something acidic, like lemon or balsamic vinegar. Serve as is, or on a crusty baguette with your favorite spread.

You can also make a simple pesto. Bring a pot of water to a boil, salt generously, and drop in the raabs. Let them boil away for just a couple of minutes or until their color has become quite vibrant. Drain and rinse in cold water to stop the cooking. Pulse in a food processor with a couple of cloves of garlic and olive oil until it’s reached your desired consistency. Use as a pasta sauce or dip. Best when eaten right away, but can be stored in the fridge for a day or two.


Raab stems start to get tougher as the season progresses and the plants mature. When in doubt about how much of the stem to use, cut off a bit and taste it. If it’s too fibrous to chew, don’t use it. If it’s a little tough but not too woody to eat, just cut it nice and small.

Photo by OlyKraut/Wilder Projects

3 Surprising Things to do with a Patty Pan Tortilla

By Devra Gartenstein

1.     Crackers. Brush tortillas in olive oil and cut them into cracker-size pieces. Bake at 375 degrees F until crispy and lightly browned, about 5 to 10 minutes. Keep a close eye because there’s a fine line between perfect and overdone.

2.     Dessert “quesadillas”. Spread some chocolate chips or chocolate chunks on half a tortilla. Add some fruit, like berries, or bananas, or both. Cook in a skillet on low heat until the chocolate is melted.

3.     Roll-up apps. Spread a tortilla with your favorite spread, such as hummus or cream cheese. Sprinkle something colorful and tasty like green olives, roasted red peppers, or fresh herbs. Roll and slice into one-inch rolls. Serve as an easy appetizer.

How to clean a leek

By Devra Gartenstein

They’re like onions, only better. But they grow in dirt so they sometimes come with dirt hidden between their layers. Here’s how to find that pesky dirt and clean your leeks well, without a fuss.

  1. Trim the top and bottom, but don’t take off more than you need because it’s all good food.
  2. Cut the leek lengthwise and wash it in cold running water. Get between the layers because that’s where the dirt hides, especially where the green meets the white. 
  3. Don’t separate the layers much while you wash the leek. If you keep them together they’ll be easy to cut, but if you separate them they’ll get curly and unruly.