Rapini, also known in some places as Broccoli Rabe, or even Broccoli Raab, is a favorite green in my family. Rapini has a strong flavor and it is known as a bitter green. Because of this, it is best served with other assertive flavors. Our recipe features garlic and hot chili pepper flakes, but another great way to serve Rapini is with spicy sausage. In fact, sausage could be an excellent addition to this recipe if you are looking for a great one dish meal.

Rapini is part of the cruciferous vegetable family that includes its cousin, broccoli. Both vegetables have tight flower heads, but the stems of rapini are much thinner, though still tough and in need of generous trimming. Rapini also features long, spiky leaves that should be included in cooking. This vegetable grows well in the Mediterranean climates of France and Italy, and it is becoming more and more popular in similar climes, such as California and parts of Australia.

This is a simple recipe that serves 4 to 6 people as a first course or side dish. If you love rapini as we do, I think this recipe will be an excellent addition to your repertoire, and if you haven't tried this healthful green yet, I hope you will be inspired to so now.

A note: According to Ocean Mist, American growers of Rapini, at the OceanMist.com website, this is the best way to clean and blanch Rapini: "Remove the “skirt” that holds the bunch of rapini together. Rinse well in plenty of cold water. Trim base of stems and discard. Cut the rest of the stems, leaves and tops crosswise into 2-inch lengths. Most cooks like to blanch the rapini before cooking, to reduce its bitterness.

To blanch: Drop cut rapini into a large pot of boiling, salted water and let it boil for 2 to 3 minutes.... If you’ll be serving the rapini with pasta, save the blanching water to cook the pasta. And, if you won’t be cooking the rapini right away, cool it by plunging it into an ice water bath. Drain well."

Penne With Rapini Ingredients

• 2 bunches Rapini, cleaned and blanched as per above
  
  
• Tuscan Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  
  
• 2 or 3 large garlic cloves, smashed and left whole for easy removal
  
  
• Coarse salt
  
  
• Red pepper flakes to taste
  
  
• 2 Tablespoons Butter
  
  
• 1 Pound Penne Pasta, cooked al dente
  
  
• 1 ladle hot pasta water

Sauté the garlic in the Olive Oil until tender, then add the blanched Rapini, and season with the salt and red pepper flakes. I did not name an amount of oil, because I have found that the rapini sometimes absorbs the oil to a greater or lesser extent. In any case, you will want the pasta to be adequately dressed, but not sopping with oil.

Just as the pasta finishes cooking, add the butter to the rapini, followed quickly by the ladle of hot water. Stir these, and the sauce will blend beautifully and not separate. Add the drained pasta to the cooked rapini, remove the garlic, adjust seasonings, and serve hot.

Arezzo: We recently spent an absolutely wonderful day and night in Arezzo, where we journied for two specifics reasons: to visit the wonderful Piero della Francesca frescoes in the Church of San Francesco, and to attend the monthly Antiques Market, perhaps the best known in Italy, and certainly the most famous in Tuscany.

This market is known for furniture, with dealers coming from all over Italy to participate, and I was a bit afraid that we might not be able to make any purchases, since furniture wasn't on our list at this time. I was delighted to find that though there was plenty of furniture for sale, there were abundant stalls selling myriad types of other items.

Jewelry, from fine to costume, paintings, religious articles, plate, crockery, kitchen and cooking items, silver of all descriptions, ceramics and books were just some of the offerings that enthralled us. We saw amazing antique toys, including two child sized automobiles that we couldn't bring home, but longed to.

Among the items we did purchase were a book from the 1960s on the subject of unusual models made by Fiat at that time; a lovely little blue Royal Copenhagen dish, featuring a lake scene set against mountains; and an Ex Voto. These silver medallions are becoming more and more difficult to find, and as I collect them, I was thrilled with the selection and prices at the Arezzo Antiques Fair.

The fair is held on the first Sunday and preceding Saturday of every month. Note that it is not the first weekend of the month, but the first Sunday and the Saturday that precedes it. Stalls line the streets of the town leading up to the Piazza Grande, which is filled with dealers and their wares.

Arezzo is loaded with other shops, and many of those are antique stores. We found that all restaurants and shops were open and busy during the days of the fair. Several stores and bakeries were selling porchetta sandwiches, and they made the perfect, most delicious luncheon fare for us.

Carmignano: This market is held on the first Sunday of the month in Piazza Vittorio Emanuale.

Cortona: This lovely little town has an antiques and flea market on the third weekend of every month. It is centered in the area around Palazzo Casali.

Florence: Florence's monthly antiques market is held on the last Sunday of each month at Piazza Ciompi.

Lucca: Lucca is a wonderful town for markets, and those include the Antiques Market that takes place on the third Saturday and Sunday of every month. Dealers set up in the Piazza San Giuto and surrounding streets, where they offer a surprising number of French pieces, perhaps connected with the towns Napoleonic history. Many dealers sell lace, ceramics, and other small goods.

Prato: The market in Prato, an easy journey from Firenze, takes place three times a year in the Piazza del Comune: On the Saturday before Easter, September 8, and on Christmas Day. Antique linens and old books are the specialty items here, but you can also find many other antiques, as well as crafts and food stuffs.

Siena: Siena holds a small antiques market featuring various collectibles on the third Sunday of the month, but not in July or August. This market is held in the Cloister of San Domenico.

Scarperia: held on the first Sunday of the month in Piazza Via Roma.

Since we wrote about market day in Siena, it has occurred to us that a trip to a local market can be fun no matter where one is in Tuscany. Since our properties are numerous, and scattered throughout the region, I thought a brief guide to weekly market days, where fresh produce, bread, cheese and other items are sold, might be of use to our readers. Here is my list, and if any of our readers knows of a market day we've missed, or an antiques market that isn't in our list above, please write and we will feature your recommendations in an upcoming newsletter.

Market Days

LUNEDI

Abbadia San Salvatore (SI), Castagneto Carducci (LI), Castel San Niccolò (AR), Castelfranco di Sotto (PI), Foiano della Chiana (AR),Lari (PI), Pieve Santo Stefano (AR), San Casciano in Val di Pesa (FI), Seravezza (LU), Subbiano (AR), Suvereto (LI).

MARTEDI

Arcidosso(GR), Bientina (PI), Borgo San Lorenzo (FI), Buggiano (PT), Capannoli (PI), Carmignano (PO), Cecina (LI), Chiusi (SI), Cinigiano (GR), Cutigliano (PT), Fauglia (PI), Figline Valdarno (FI), Fivizzano (MS), Gavorrano (GR), Montemurlo (PO), Monteroni d'Arbia (SI), Peccioli (PI), Piazza al Serchio (LU), San Giuliano Terme (PI), San Miniato (PI), Sansepolcro (AR), Sinalunga (SI), Stia (AR).

MERCOLEDI

Bagno a Ripoli (FI), Bucine (AR), Calenzano (FI), Campo nell'Elba (LI), Capalbio (GR), Castel Focognano (AR), Castelnuovo Val di Cecina (PI), Certaldo (FI), Chianciano Terme (SI), Chiesina Uzzanese (PT), Civitella in Val di Chiana (AR), Forte dei Marmi (LU), Fucecchio (FI), Gallicano (LU), Laiatico (PI), Magliano in Toscana (GR), Massa Marittima (GR), Monte San Savino (AR), Piombino (LI), Pitigliano (GR), Ponsacco (PI), Pontassieve (FI), Pontremoli (MS), Roccastrada (SI).

GIOVEDI

Agliana (PT), Altopascio (LU), Bibbiena (AR), Bibbona (LI), Campiglia Marittima (LI), Casciana Terme (PI), Cascina (PI), Castelnuovo Berardenga (SI), Castiglion Fibocchi (AR), Chiusdino (SI), Guardistallo (PI), Lucignano (AR), Marciana (LI), Minucciano (LU), Montecatini Terme (PT), Montepulciano (SI), Montevarchi (AR), Pietrasanta (LU), Rapolano Terme (SI), San Giovanni Valdarno (AR), Santa Maria a Monte (PI), Viareggio (LU), Vicchio (FI).

VENERDI

Camaiore (LU), Capolona (AR), Castelfranco di Sopra (AR), Castiglion Fiorentino (AR), Colle di Val D'Elsa (SI), Follonica (GR), Lamporecchio (PT), Montemurlo (PO), Pienza (SI), Ponte Buggianese (PT), Pontedera (PI), Portoferraio (PI), Pratovecchio (AR), Sarteano (SI), Terranuova Bracciolini (AR), Torrita di Siena (SI), Vecchiano (PI), Villafranca in Lunigiana (MS).

SABATO

Agliana (PT), Aulla (MS), Barberino di Mugello (FI), Barga (LU), Buonconvento (SI), Castelfiorentino (FI), Castellina in Chianti (SI), Castellina Marittima (PI), Castiglione d'Orcia (SI), Castiglione della Pescaia (GR), Cetona (SI), Civitella Paganico (GR), Cortona (AR), Fiesole (FI), Greve in Chianti (FI), Impruneta (FI), Larciano (PT), Lastra a Signa (FI), Manciano (GR), Montelupo Fiorentino (FI), Montopoli in Val d'Arno (PI), Orbetello (GR), Pescia (PT), Pieve a Nievole (PT), Pieve Fosciana (LU), Pontremoli (MS), Porto Azzurro (LI), Quarrata (PT), Reggello (FI), San Giovanni Val D'Arno (AR), Santa Croce Sull'Arno (PI), Sesto Fio rentino (FI), Volterra (PI).

DOMENICA

Monterchi (AR).