With spring upon us, make the most of the season’s fresh early offerings such as spring greens, watercress and Jersey Royals. As the days get longer, (and ever so slightly warmer) our tastes tend to change from rich and heavy comfort foods to lighter dishes featuring spring vegetables and even the odd salad or two. Why not make the most of the beautiful seafood available this time of year and create an Italian pasta dish with freshly caught local crab, chilli, rocket & lemon; or keep it simple with locally grown asparagus spears served with a softly poached egg.
Fruit & Veg
Spring onions, spring greens, chicory, rhubarb
Asparagus, broccoli, Jersey Royals, radishes, rocket, sorrel, spinach
Meat & Game:
Wood pigeon, lamb
Seafood:
Lemon sole, dover sole, cockles, mussels, oysters
Crab, sea bass, sea trout, shrimps, prawns
From the wild:
Watercress, wild nettles
Nettles
The first signs of spring see the wild nettles poking up hopefully through last year’s dead foliage. At this young, tender stage they’re perfect for harvesting, but take care and wear gloves as even the most innocent looking young leaves can sting. Nettles are extremely versatile and can be used to make a variety of tasty dishes such as soups, pies, pesto, risotto and even smoothies.
