Purple fronds

We've got a bit of a backlog in terms of meals that need blog attention. I'll get an easy, and delicious one out of the way before it goes out of season!

The Pigs have a bit of a soft spot for broccoli (especially the Canadian Pig who calls them "the little brushes for the colon".)... We eat it all year, even when it's not in season, but it's a veg that can grow at any point of the year, really. We grew some in the garden last summer/autumn and it tasted marvelous. Iron, vitamins A & C, folic acid and fiber - broccoli is king!

Around 1 March I went to our local outdoor market on the High Road. In a corner near the bramley apples there was a crate of virtually ignored purple broccoli. I don't think I'd ever seen them stock it before. I went a bit mad and bought a huge bag of it. The kid who was at the till only works there on the weekends, I think. He's always yelling out the football scores which they receive on a live feed at the back of the stall. Though he has a remarkably large vocabulary, he's the last one you would think would say in reference to the broccoli, "Aw, these are really nice. I just bought my mum a bunch for Mother's Day; she loves them." I adore that guy. He's my hope for humanity. A working-class, English teenager who likes purple broc, bought it for his mom for Mother's Day, and was happy to tell me about it.

Purple (or normal) Broccoli, Sausage and Fennel Pasta
(extracted and adapted from Pig Out 2007, our first book!)

4 cloves garlic, chopped
Extra virgin olive oil
4 fresh sausages (pork and leek is good; I think I did lincolnshire)
1/2 cup dry white wine
Purple broccoli, cut down to edible pieces
1/4 cup salt water (from pasta water)
1 Tbs whole fennel seeds
Salt & pepper
Parmesan
1 lb/500 g pasta (pref. orecchiette, penne or fusilli)

Steam the broccoli over the boiling and salted pasta water (or blanch for a couple of minutes. This will turn the pasta water purple, which is really cool.) Cook the broccoli less that you would to eat it plain, slightly underdone. In the meantime, fry the garlic and pieces of sausage in the olive oil over medium-high heat. Cook thoroughly. Add the wine and cook it down a bit. Add the fennel seeds, black pepper and fry for another minute. Then add a bit of salt water from the pasta water to the pan and all of the broccoli. Cook on medium with the top on until the broccoli is ready. If a bit too watery, just cook with the top of for another couple of minutes. While that finishes, cook the pasta. When it's done, mix with the sauce, serve and smother each bowl with grated parmesan.
Serves 4.

I had mine with a glass of prosecco.

I found this on purple broccoli:
Early Purple Sprouting: An English heirloom variety, bred for overwintering, produces lots of purple broccoli sprouts in the spring. Grows slowly through the winter, very frost hardy; a great variety that is very hard to find in this country; delicious! rareseeds.com

So you see that, folks - plant your purple sprouting broccoli in May and you'll have it in the winter (providing you live in a temperate climate like good ol' England).