Spring potatoes in green

At our house, we love using a bright green puree to add nutrients and colour to dishes. Joe uses cavolo nero, using the method below - to make a puree that is stirred through cooked polenta (served with lots of grated Parmesan), and I love a simple boiled potato that becomes festive-looking in green. Apart from the dark greens suggested below, you could use sorrel, spinach or soft herbs, dill and parsley would work - they will just need to be blanched for less time.

Serves 4 as a side dish or light lunch served with pickles

300g of kale or cavolo nero, stalks and leaves separated

4 garlic cloves

2 tbsp EVOO

1 lemon, juice and zest (optional, will dim the green colour and don't use if using sorrel)

sea salt and pepper

300-400g potatoes

Boil water in a medium pan (I use a kettle to speed things along). Have a bowl filled with cold water at the ready. Add a big pinch of salt. If using tougher greens like kale, put the tougher stalks along with the garlic in first and cook for 2 minutes, and then add the leafy bits and cook for another minute. Sorrel and spinach will need the quickest of plunges, about 30 seconds. In this case, chop the garlic and blanch for 30 seconds. Drain the greens and garlic and put them into the bowl of cold water, then drain well. Blitz the blanched greens and garlic with the olive oil in a suitable processor, add the salt, pepper, lemon zest, and juice (if you don't mind the greens becoming duller in colour.)

Boil the potatoes whole, in salted water, until they are soft when pierced with a knife, let them cool down a little bit, so they are warm but no longer steaming, and stir through the green puree.

This makes for a brilliant addition to a simple roast chicken, or serve, like I did this afternoon with some tinned sardines and pickles or a simple leafy salad for lunch.