Here we go Cavolo!
There's not a massive amount of fruit and veg coming out of the UK in February, but it is a good time for hearty greens, like kale and cavolo nero.
Cavolo nero (literally black kale) has an aura of classiness - being more associated with sophisticated Italian meals than grim cabbage soup. It's great with pasta or on bruschetta, but is equally at home alongside your roast. As with all greens, the secret is not to overcook it.
My go-to basic cavolo nero recipe with rosemary and chilli. This works great stirred through pasta, risotto or on toasted sourdough. Finish with a generous trickle of olive oil and plenty of parmesan.
Or, for a substantial winter salad, why not try this Anna Jones recipe for ginger-peanut warm kale salad. The ginger, tahini, peanut butter dressing is what makes this - you'll find yourself pouring it over everything!
PSB for You and Me
We're hitting peak purple sprouting broccoli season.
Harvested young, it's much more delicate in flavour and texture than its bigger greener cousin.
I always think of this as a practice run for asparagus season - the delicate heads of broccoli work great in so many of the same recipes. Delicious with hollandaise, dipped in a boiled egg or piled on sourdough with a poached egg on top.
If you haven't already gathered... it's best buds with eggs and makes a lovely filling for eggs or frittata too.
No one will judge you for buying it ready-made, but hollandaise is a lovely partner for purple sprouting broccoli - the simple frugal brassica partnered with the rich buttery sauce feels so right. Here's Jamie's recipe if you want to give it a go.