Cultivate an Authentic Italian Vegetable Garden: 8 Traditional Vegetable Varieties to Plant

Harvesting Season Begins for Cima di Rapa Quarantina and Nadia Eggplants

Gardeners across Italy are gearing up for the harvest of two popular vegetables: Cima di Rapa Quarantina and Nadia eggplants.

Cima di Rapa Quarantina, also known as rapini or broccoli rabe, is a zesty, robust vegetable that will be ready for harvest in just 28 days. This cool season crop needs to be planted early in spring and another crop may be sown at the end of summer for fall harvesting. Cima di Rapa Quarantina is a versatile vegetable that can be used in a variety of dishes, including roasting, steaming, stir fries, soups, stews, pasta, and salad.

Nadia eggplants are a traditional black Italian variety with a slightly rounded shape, uniform size, and blemish-free shiny black skin. These eggplants are best started indoors and transplanted after any frost danger, with fruits ready 67 days after planting. Nadia eggplants are a popular choice for Italian cuisine, with uses ranging from roasting to stir frying and adding to soups and stews.

In addition to these two vegetables, Fagiolina del Trasimeno beans are also ready for harvest. These small black-eyed peas grown near Lake Trasimeno in Italy do not need soaking before cooking and result in a creamy textured legume. Directly sow Fagiolina del Trasimeno beans in well-draining, fertile soil in full sun after all danger of frost has passed, and expect the first mature legumes 80 days after planting. Harvest every couple of days to ensure a continuous supply of these nutritious beans.

Italian herbs such as oregano, basil, parsley, and thyme are essential in Italian cooking and serve as companion plants to keep pests away from other crops. Oregano provides a pungent aroma and flavor to dishes, basil has a delicate, slightly liquorice, sweet taste, parsley adds freshness and color when added at the end of cooking, and thyme has an almost minty taste and pronounced scent that is classic with fish and chicken dishes. Basil is key for tomato dishes, pesto, pasta, and pizza with its fresh, sweet-spicy aroma, while oregano is essential especially in southern Italian recipes and pizza seasoning.

The plants vine and benefit from a trellis or other vertical structure. With these tips in mind, gardeners can look forward to a bountiful harvest of these traditional Italian vegetables and herbs.

Cultivate an Authentic Italian Vegetable Garden: 8 Traditional Vegetable Varieties to Plant