Spring greens can be delicious as well as nutritious. Hugo Arnold raids his garden
I am by no means averse to luxury, but good eating can be found in the simplest and cheapest of foods. At this time of year I am to be found in the back garden, armed with an old kitchen knife, hacking off the outside leaves of spring greens for the compost, while jealously guarding the inner, sweeter leaves.
Laced with garlic and chilli-rich olive oil, these will make a fine meal by themselves, the thick green, viscous dressing rolling gently over the crinkled surface of the greens. Add in a few boiled early-season potatoes and supper is on the table.
Alternatively, I might serve the greens with a mustard-rich vinaigrette made with a generous handful of decent capers and maybe a slug of cream. Or I might use some spices: shred the leaves and either stir-fry them with soy, ginger and garlic, a trio that never fails to lift the spirits, or cook with fennel and mustard seeds, cumin and coriander, and more than a little chilli.
Recent research points to the health benefits of eating broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower. Indole-3-carbinol may not sound like supper, but its presence in these vegetables has been linked to a DNA repair kit that fights cancer. I, for one, need no persuading. This is fine dining of the best kind, where the focus is on ingredients and taste. Some like to call this peasant food, provincial even, which rather demeans it. If eating can be this good, then I'm a very happy peasant.
Think of our own bacon and cabbage - nothing like some good pork to send up the rugged simplicity of the greens. Or mustardy coleslaw, recently removed from the shopping basket used by the Office of National Statistics in the UK because, apparently, it has dipped in popularity. Ham and coleslaw must be one of my favourite sandwiches, even if the mustard mayonnaise has a habit of ending up in my lap.
Extracting full flavour from greens is not difficult, but overboiling is to be avoided. The crunch is part of the enjoyment. There is a point at which you lose the sweetness. Leaves folded under meat or fish work as a fine bed, maybe simply dressed with a good punchy olive oil, or something more complex when time allows. Both broccoli and cauliflower can be cooked with a scant amount of water and a generous slug of olive oil. With the lid on, they end up in a Turkish bath which brings out the best in both the oil and the vegetable. You need to keep an eye on the liquid quotient, however, and add more water if needed.