We’re often told that once a brassica bolts, that signals the end of its life. But to me, those first few kale buds (also known as kale raab) are the start of a new life—in the form of edible flowers that are surprisingly tender and sweet (especially if you’ve had a very cold season, which brings out their sweetness more).
Raab (derived from rapa, Italian for turnip) is just another word for the flowering tops of plants from the brassica family, such as kale, broccoli, mustard greens, and Chinese cabbage.
You might be more familiar with broccoli raab, which is often sold in supermarkets as bundles of stems with tight clusters of buds, some with tiny yellow blossoms. Gailan (also called Chinese broccoli) is enjoyed for these little buds as well.
Being a cold-hardy biennial, kale (and other brassicas) survives winters in most climates. It spends its first season developing a strong root system and healthy head of leaves.
From early spring to early summer as the weather warms, kale flower buds appear after the plant has completed its life cycle. Before it sets seed, it sends up a flower stalk and the buds can (and should) be harvested for one final hurrah before the plant expires. You can even pinch the buds back to encourage more flower heads to form in the last couple weeks.
I use both the buds and the flowers, which need no more than a simple dressing to bring out their flavor: some olive oil and garlic, sauteed with a squeeze of lemon. Toss the kale raab with a warm brown rice salad and a handful of wilted greens, add it to a stir-fry, or serve it as a side dish.
I used to sigh when I looked out my window at the end of the season and faced a bed of flowering kale, but now all I see is a delicious new crop! Harvesting kale buds is a great way to get more out of your garden by doing less (after all, it means growing more food without planting more plants) so don’t be afraid to try it next time.
28 Comments
MH
March 23, 2021 at 5:53 pmThank you for the great info! I’m a newbie and my kale is flowering. What should I do if I want to harvest seeds from it for another crop? I’ve been so proud of my kale and am sad to see it go. 🙁
theGardenBetty
July 9, 2013 at 9:02 pmBolting may cause the leaves to be bitter, but it leaves the flowers sweet. Edible Kale Flower Buds http://t.co/VQDy5TQaQX #gardenchat
theGardenBetty
July 9, 2013 at 3:03 pmIt’s like getting a bonus crop before the plant expires! Edible Kale Flower Buds http://t.co/YzqKdhf81W #gardenchat #gardening
Carolyn Valdez
July 9, 2013 at 2:19 pmDelicious! I eat many kids of flower buds from my garden. But I’ve always wondered (and maybe you can answer this question for me): are there any vegetables with flowers that you shouldn’t eat? (Rhubarb you’re not supposed to eat the leaves, but other than that?)
Linda Ly
July 9, 2013 at 3:54 pmI’m not aware of any flowers that you shouldn’t eat (at least, not in what I grow at home)… but I typically only like flowers from my herbs (since they taste just like the herb leaves… onions and chives are my favorite) or sweeter flowers, like those from brassicas.
As for leaves that you shouldn’t eat, rhubarb is the only one I know of (the leaves contain high levels of oxalic acid, but as with most things, you’d have to eat a ton of rhubarb leaves to feel sick). I eat lots of “unconventional” leaves like carrot tops, fava bean leaves, radish leaves, pea shoots, young cucumber leaves, and I also steep tomato leaves in my tomato sauces for added flavor.
Carolyn Valdez
July 9, 2013 at 11:02 pmAh, perfect, thank you!
Rozzie Mistry
November 22, 2013 at 11:59 amWhen you steep the tomato leaves to add more flavour, does this mean that you then remove them later before serving, or do you leave them in to eat?
Linda Ly
November 22, 2013 at 4:23 pmI remove them before serving. Here’s the recipe: http://www.gardenbetty.com/2013/08/spicy-minty-tomato-sauce-infused-with-tomato-leaves/
Halifaxseed
July 9, 2013 at 9:41 amRT @theGardenBetty: The flowering tops of kale, broccoli, mustards and other brassicas are delicious. Edible Kale Flower Buds http://t.co/y…
Charlie Bourgeois
July 8, 2013 at 11:08 pmCharlie Bourgeois liked this on Facebook.
GreenSoil
July 8, 2013 at 6:19 pmRT @yardbutler RT @theGardenBetty: These clusters of buds are surprisingly tender and sweet! Edible Kale Flower Buds http://t.co/0SzM7GmMLL
yardbutler
July 8, 2013 at 6:13 pmRT @theGardenBetty: These clusters of buds are surprisingly tender and sweet! Edible Kale Flower Buds http://t.co/2eJxoh8Zp8 #gardenchat #g…
theGardenBetty
July 8, 2013 at 6:02 pmThese clusters of buds are surprisingly tender and sweet! Edible Kale Flower Buds http://t.co/2eJxoh8Zp8 #gardenchat #gardening
Madeleine Grant
July 8, 2013 at 2:54 pmMadeleine Grant liked this on Facebook.
theGardenBetty
July 8, 2013 at 12:29 pmBolting is not the end of the plant’s life – it’s the start of a new life! Edible Kale Flower Buds http://t.co/4CTpekS4ru #gardenchat
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July 8, 2013 at 10:53 amTracy Graves liked this on Facebook.
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Cary Bradley
July 8, 2013 at 7:48 amYumm! Love them too!
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BG_garden
July 8, 2013 at 6:02 amEdible Kale Flower Buds:
We’re often told that once a brassica bolts, that signals the end of its life. But t… http://t.co/385QwKxmMW
theGardenBetty
July 8, 2013 at 6:00 amBlogged on Garden Betty: Edible Kale Flower Buds http://t.co/S4w7aRxjuf