Purple sprouting broccoli with pickled walnuts and Poulcoin cheese

Serves 4

It's leafy, green and delicious and it's in season now. But purple sprouting broccoli must be f one of the most underrated vegetables going. Only sprout tops are more obscure. This type of broccoli is perfect to serve as a starter or with a main course. It has a fairly erratic season and you are likely to find it either end of the cold winter months.

It's leafy, green and delicious and it's in season now. But purple sprouting broccoli must be f one of the most underrated vegetables going. Only sprout tops are more obscure. This type of broccoli is perfect to serve as a starter or with a main course. It has a fairly erratic season and you are likely to find it either end of the cold winter months.

Poulcoin is a small, hard, Irish organic goat's milk cheese, rather similar in texture and taste to Pecorino or Parmesan. You'll have to buy it from a specialist cheese shop like Neal's Yard Dairy. If you can't find it, use Parmesan.

400-500g purple sprouting broccoli
12 pickled walnuts, chopped
4tbsp olive oil
60g butter, melted
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
80g Poulcoin, Pecorino or Parmesan cheese

Cook the sprouting broccoli in boiling salted water for 4-5 minutes or until tender. Depending on the thickness of the stalks the cooking time will vary; very thin ones will take only a couple minutes. Drain well then season the broccoli and toss in the melted butter and arrange on plates.

Mix the pickled walnuts with the olive oil and spoon over the broccoli then cut thin slices, or nuggets of the cheese and scatter on top. You could serve it as a bruschetta on toast rubbed with garlic and drizzled with olive oil.