I’ve been jabbed! I have had my first dose of COVID vaccine and am very happy about it, even though it made me feel quite awful for 24 hours. Looking forward to my second dose now in June and, hopefully, to unaccustomed things like holidays and hugs.
Also, I can’t help feeling optimistic if the first harbingers of spring have appeared on the market stalls too: Jersey Royals. Those lovely, dirty, tiny and extortionately expensive (at the moment) spuds, that it takes forever to scrub and only seconds to devour, are my all-time favourite thing at this time of year. Of course I splashed, against my better judgement, and we relished Sunday lunch of freshly boiled potatoes, lightly dotted with butter and sprinkled with chopped herbs.
If you give in to the temptation too or, more sensibly, wait a while for their price to go down, cook them simply to savour the taste. You can lightly crush them, with a few chopped olives, for enhanced flavour. Later on do try poaching them in oil with lemon and garlic or make a novel warm potato salad with bacon and cucumber. And in the midst of the season sauté them with spinach. So gorgeous! Next stop: asparagus!
I am also looking forward to spring lamb but that’s still a wait away. Contrary to common expectations new season lamb is not usually available at Easter, even if it falls late like this year. But soon after, I hope, I’ll be able to cook some herby spring lamb chops to have alongside my Jerseys or, by then, maybe Cornish new potatoes. Those varieties are of course indigenous to the UK but I’m sure the new spuds at your neck of wood are as delightful.
But if we’re still working through old season potatoes, a batch of giant latkes might be the thing to cook this week. You could have them, traditionally, with stewed apples or turn them into an unconventional dinner: with homemade mushroom sauce. I promise it’s a gorgeous combination.
Some quick and easy suppers are always needed too so perhaps lemon chilli chicken? Or prawn fried rice?
And finally, dessert. Beautiful pink forced rhubarb is all the rage now and truly there’s no fool like a rhubarb fool. Try for yourself this week!