Come spring, can’t wait to get my hands on the likes of favas, morels, ramps, asparagus, strawberries, and green peas…some of life’s simple pleasures.  Freshly shucked green peas, which bear no resemblance to their mushy, canned counterparts, are simply divine when cooked in a little butter.  Notwithstanding, when I look beyond these spring favorites, open my eyes to what’s already right in front of me, I see spring’s early arrivals a la flowering rabe.  You may be more familiar with broccoli rabe (aka rapini), but you can also find flowering turnips, kale, Chinese broccoli, garlic mustard, and collard greens this time of year.

Rabe (or raab) are the flowering tops of the Brassica family (i.e., cabbage family); rabe is derived from rapa, which means “turnip” in Italian.  The tiny yellow (and white) blossoms show up in early-spring.  The flowers, leaves, and stems are edible.  This time of year, the stems are slender and tender, the flowers sweet.  If you’ve tried broccoli rabe, you know it can be a bit bitter; on the contrary, these other flowering greens are more mild.

What better way to utilize these flowering greens than in a simple, quick stir-fry.  All you need is a hot wok, and you will have yourself a tasty, seasonal meal in a matter of minutes — this is the way fast food should be.  I used ground lamb for this stir-fry.  It has a stronger, earthier (some say ‘gamey’) flavor compared to ground beef and mingles nicely with the bold Asian flavors (fish sauce, Thai basil and Thai chiles). I’ve made this with other types of ground meat (including bison), and I find that the strong lamb flavors work best.

A beautiful spring bowl of goodness in a matter of minutes…

I topped with some chopped Marcona almonds for crunch, along with a big handful of Thai basil, and finished with a squeeze of lime, all served over brown rice…