Turnip tops are derived from the turnip but are a variety in their own right, of which the tender leaves and flowers are eaten. In taste they are slightly bitter and a little peppery.

Properties and season of turnip tops

Like many of the humble dishes of traditional cooking, turnip tops are in fact rich in nutrients: they contain very high levels of calcium (97 mg), vitamin C (110 mg — twice that of blonde oranges), vitamin A (225 mcg), vitamin B2 (0.16 mg), phosphorus (69 mg) and a considerable amount of protein (2.9 g), which confirms, once again, the reliability of our grandparents' instincts in using them, in the past, as a substitute for meat. They are exceptionally rich in anti-anaemic chlorophyll, stimulate the appetite and detoxify the body.

Read also: La ricetta dei fusilli al gorgonzola e cime di rapa

Eating turnip tops is recommended for pregnant women: they contain a great deal of folate, which is useful for preventing spina bifida in the baby. In northern Italy they are produced in October–November and then in April–May. In the south, however, they are available continuously from November to April. They are vegetables that love the cold, so winter is the season when turnip tops are at their best.

How to choose turnip tops

When buying them, choose ones with beautifully green leaves, favouring those with plenty of flowers and no yellow parts. And use them quickly, before they turn yellow, because even when kept in the fridge they have an extremely short shelf life. To keep their deep green colour intact without losing precious nutrients, it is best to boil them in plenty of water, drain them and rinse them under a stream of cold water.

Turnip tops in the kitchen: pasta recipes and more

Traditionally they are prepared braised with garlic and a glass of wine, or boiled together with pasta, as in the case of Apulian orecchiette alle cime di rapa. In Puglia, turnip tops are a traditional carnival dish: they are braised with garlic and oil and eaten immediately after calzone, a sort of flatbread filled with fried onion, and squanda, a very pungent local ricotta.

Cooking

Those who enjoy the bitterness of this vegetable can cook the tops with only the water left over from washing them and a little salt. Those who prefer to soften them a little are better off boiling them in plenty of salted water and rinsing them, as mentioned, under a stream of cold water after draining.