Food editor, stylist and author Angela Boggiano and her photographer husband, Craig Robertson, owners of At the Kitchen in Cheadle Hulme, share their recipe ideas.

Hearty greens and cabbages are perfect for adding flavour, texture, colour and vital nutrients to simple dishes as well as being great value for money. Savoy cabbage and the increasingly popular cavolo nero are sturdy and leafy greens that are readily available, making them great for adding to stews, soups and stir fries.

Savoy cabbage is great shredded and stir-fried with garlic, shallots and chilli for a simple, super-tasty supper, so easy to prepare. Cavolo nero is a green that works wonderfully with big, rich, earthy flavours, like sausages, lentils, chickpeas, salami and bacon. These are our favourite ways to cook and eat these fantastic vegetables, just perfect for this time of year. Give them a go…

Cannellini bean and cavolo nero soup

Adding some pieces of stale bread to the soup, especially a wonderful, textured sourdough, gives a lovely silky texture and thickens the broth. Plus, a little extra buttered toast on the side!

Serves 4

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 100g cubed pancetta
• 2 garlic, cloves, finely chopped
• 1 sprig rosemary, leaves finely chopped
• 1 pinch chilli flakes
• 400g tin plum tomatoes
• 1 litre vegetable stock
• 200g cavolo nero, chopped
• 400g tin cannellini beans
• 35g stale bread, broken into small pieces

• Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan and cook the onion gently for 6 minutes. Add the pancetta and continue cooking for 4 minutes.
• Add the garlic, rosemary and chilli flakes. Cook for 1 minute, then add the plum tomatoes and vegetable stock.
• Stir in the cavolo nero, beans and bread. Let the cavolo nero wilt down and then cook for another 10 minutes.
• Serve the soup drizzled with a really good peppery extra virgin olive oil. 

Garlicy greens, egg and chilli and mint sauce

This is a simple, delicious supper – loads of greens with loads of taste. 

Serves 2

• 350g savoy cabbage
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 small onion or 2 shallots, finely sliced
• 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 2 large free-range eggs
• 2 large slices sourdough
• For the chilli sauce
• 1 red chilli, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp fresh mint, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

• Remove the tough stalks from the savoy cabbage leaves and shred the leaves finely. Heat half the olive oil in a large frying pan over a medium-low heat and add the onion and a pinch of salt and cook for 4-5 minutes. Add the garlic, cook for 1 minute, then add the cabbage stir and reduce the heat and cook for 8 minutes, stirring every so often until wilted. 
• Push the wilted cabbage to the side and add the remaining oil to the pan. Add the eggs to the pan and cook until the white turns opaque. Toast the bread.
• Mix together the finely chopped chilli and mint with the oil and a pinch of salt. To serve, drizzle the sourdough with a little of the chilli oil. Top with the greens and finish with the fried eggs and an extra drizzle of the chilli sauce.

At the Kitchen / 5 Warren Road / Cheadle Hulme / Cheadle SK8 5AA

0161 282 2050

Photography by Craig Robertson