Near our house but not so near that I don’t have to make regular detours to check, there’s a roundabout & on this roundabout there’s a sign & on this sign the local picking farm announces what’s fresh & ripe for the cropping. So excited, I drove round twice the other day whooping quietly (well quite loudly if truth be told!) The Asparagus have finally poked their heavenly spears through sun warmed soil & are ready for a right royal gathering.
Also making an appearance were some lovely spring onions, rosy Rhubarb & seriously aromatic wild garlic, delicate star like flowers & all.
Wild garlic makes a pungent pesto for that other oh so seasonal crop that is the Jersey Royal. It also popped up recently on a trip to POLPO where we devoured a delicious Pizzetta featuring lovely green garlic leaves & clams, inspired.
Scruffy pastry can be forgiven when juicy Asparagus is teamed with a tangy goats cheese & some pine nuts in a tart.
Freshly dug spring onions do an exotic pakora make especially when teamed with some lovely yogurty radish raita, thanks for the heads up Mr Fearnley-Whittingstall.
And as for Ruby Rhubarb, what doesn’t benefit from a tart hit of this peculiarly British fruit, ours was roasted until the juices bled & served with some beautiful silver skinned Mackerel, in an oatmeal coat.
There was some left over so I pushed it through a sieve to add to a vanilla cake (Rhubarb, NOT Mackerel, you understand. This isn’t a Carry On Film!) The cake, in a moment of utter madness & complete girly-ness, I decided should be crowned with sugared petals. Several beautiful pink roses from a neighbours garden & some Philadelphus pilfered from the local park later Ta Da a pink oozing concoction, Barbara Cartland would have been lucky to have on her tea trolley.
Next month I’m promised Peas & broad beans & if I’m really lucky courgettes with their flowers, to say I’m excited would be an understatement, I’m gonna wind the windows down & whoop ‘till my heart can swell no further.
Simple Pleasures x