Franchi Seeds 1783 Cavolo Nero Kale Nero Di Toscana Seeds

Heritage Variety/

RHS Award of Garden Merit Winner, 14/3/16!

An elegant vegetable that’s an RHS Award of Garden Merit Winner. The plant is from the Apennine region of Italy, so it is very cold hardy!

Cavolo Nero Kale is an ingredient in minestrone in Tuscany, and is used to make ‘Ribollita Toscana’, the traditional dish of Florence.

Cavolo Nero is a regional vegetable of Tuscany. However, more Cavolo nero kale is probably grown in the UK than in Italy. This is because of Thomas Cook, who took travellers on the Grand Tour through Tuscany in Victorian times. These travellers would bring back seed to grow in their walled gardens.

Cavolo Nero Kale is delicious when pan-fried in olive oil with garlic, along with pancetta or bacon. For a soft option strip the leaves off the tougher midrib, gently steam and serve with olive oil and pine nuts on pasta.

• Approximate seeds quantity: @1500
• Sow: February - June in modules of seed compost (summer harvest). Plant out into well-prepared fertile ground when large enough to handle. Make a second sowing in summer (winter harvest).