Purple-sprouting broccoli is packed with vitamins and minerals such as folic acid and vitamins A and C, and is at its best from now until April – though you can sow it from March to June. This delicate purple cousin of regular broccoli is delicious simply steamed, but it’s also great with eggs, cheese and salty meat like bacon or chorizo.
To use it in a quiche, first preheat the oven to 180°C. Then fry a finely chopped shallot or garlic clove in oil until softened. Add a finely chopped red chilli if you like heat. Prepare around 400g of broccoli by trimming off the woody ends of the stalks, steam the broccoli for a few minutes, then set aside
Prepare your pastry by rolling out your shortcrust pastry – homemade or shop bought to around £1 coin thick. Use it to line a loose-based 23cm tart tin. Blind bake for 10-15 minutes, lined with baking paper and uncooked pulses, and a further 10 minutes without the paper and beans, until golden.
Beat around five eggs– replace one egg with 200ml double cream if you’d like it to be extra creamy. Add the fried shallots or garlic and mix. Pour the mixture into the tart case. Add your broccoli and scatter over your crumbled soft goat’s cheese. Crispy bacon would also be tasty with this.
Bake in the oven for around 45 minutes until golden on top and just set. Remove from the oven. Serve warm with salads and crusty bread.