With the exception of rhubarb, fruit is still thin on the ground in Britain as we enter the third month of the year. That needn’t spell gloom in the kitchen, however; for wild garlic, leeks, spring green cabbage, nettle, cauliflower and – at the non-vegan end of the spectrum – scallops and lamb are all at their very best right now. Eating seasonally means that it is easier for us to stick to locally grown food, thus reducing food miles and supporting local food producers in the process. It’s a win-win. And the good news is that there’s no end of delicious recipes to make with the bounty brought forth in gardens, allotments, in veg shops and on local farms this month.

These recipes are the mere tip of the tasty iceberg.

Scallops With Cauliflower And Bean Purée


Delicious Magazine
Scallops With Cauliflower And Bean Pure?e
What could be nicer than plump in-season scallops? Ching-He Huang’s simple yet delicious recipe balances flavour and texture to perfection, the sweetness of the scallops off-set by the soy-chilli dressing and the silky protein-rich cauliflower purée. A light, easy supper that is good for you and won’t need to travel miles to your plate. Find the recipe here.


Lamb, Pea And Wild Garlic Lasagne


Olive Magazine
Lamb, Pea And Wild Garlic Lasagne

Don’t be put off by the four and a half hours this showstopper will take you. Instead, find a rainy Sunday to eschew all other activity and get pleasurably busy in the kitchen. We promise it will be worth it. For this twist on the classic lasagne, which comes from Ombra, a Venetian-styled bacaro in London, is outrageously good. Featuring two great seasonal ingredients – lamb and wild garlic – the lamb is rich, while the peas freshen the whole affair beautifully. We can’t recommend it highly enough. A perfect do-ahead dinner party dish for carnivorous guests. Find the recipe here.


Ham And Leek Quiche


Jamie Oliver
Ham & Leek Quiche

Quiche makes such excellent lunch fare, and yet so often it languishes in the doldrums of our culinary repertoire. We vow to use this spring to correct that oversight, and there’s no better place to start than with this delicious ham and leek number that comes courtesy of Jamie. As he points out, the replacement of the rich pastry with filo makes it altogether lighter; the filling meanwhile, remains every bit as rich and comforting as you’d expect. Plus, you can pack in as many or as varied greens as you wish. An ideal recipe to serve up alongside a salad for a casual lunch with friends. Find the recipe here.


Ravioli With Ricotta And Young Nettles


Olive Magazine/ Petersham Nurseries
Ravioli With Ricotta And Young Nettles

No bountiful veg is so overlooked as the humble stinging nettle. Though in richly plentiful supply on our springtime walks, we’re more likely to bat it aside or trample over it than to harvest the leafy greens for supper. And yet their peppery leaves – which lose their sting upon cooking – are reminiscent of spinach and every bit as tasty as a balance to creamy ricotta di buffala, as evidenced in this recipe. Do note, you’ll need a pasta machine and ravioli cutter. And do remember your gardening gloves when out on a nettle forage. Find the recipe here.


Rhubarb Fool


Great British Chefs/ Tom Aikens
Rhubarb Fool
We love a pudding that teases our taste buds with a playful mix of the sweet with the tart. And no fruit pulls that balancing act off with quite the panache of the resplendent rhubarb. Its intrinsic sourness is softened here by the sugar, cream and the home-made sponge fingers, the latter wonderfully nostalgic. It makes the ideal dinner party pud too, by virtue of being so unutterably darn pretty. Find the recipe here.


By Nancy Alsop
Updated March 2023

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