Asparagus festival is ongoing, and hopefully we’ve had a taster of first Jersey Royal potatoes by now. I was far too hasty with this post about them, not realising that this year Jerseys have fallen victim to the wettest winter on record. So they have only now started appearing in supermarkets and on market stalls, and larger too, as farmers can’t afford to pull them too small.
But apart from those delicacies (though trust me, I could subsist on asparagus and new potatoes alone, I believe, for a good while), we should start making our menus look more springlike. It might be a good idea to spring clean your fridge, get rid of all those obscure jars and tubs that have been hibernating over winter. Tidy up your vegetable/salad drawer and it might do with a good wipe – I find broccoli is always its messiest inhabitant.
Whilst we’re there, did you know that herbs will keep for over a week if you wrap the ends in a wet paper towel and pack the bunches in a closable bag? Broccoli, cauliflower, peppers and cabbage are best kept in the drawer unwrapped but salad leaves, radishes, mushrooms and carrots last better in a plastic (reused on a loop) or compostable bag. And there is a reason why cucumbers come, stupidly, I used to think, shrink-wrapped. Without it, it spoils very quickly, it goes mouldy and manky so the foil actually serves to curb food waste. Always two sides to a story!
Asparagus is best fresh but you can stick a bunch into a jug with some water, like a bouquet of flowers. And you should never store onions or garlic in the fridge, for their sake (they'll go mouldy) and other fridge inhabitants.
Once we’ve stocked up on those fresh new season salads and vegetables in the clean, fresh fridge, let’s cook some spring dishes. Persian sabzi khordan salad, with radish, cucumber and herbs, is something I could have with my every meal. Those herbs might include wild garlic, which grows so abundantly everywhere in the woods thanks to the wet months, you can’t miss it. You can also add it to creamy leeks or buttered spinach, instead of ordinary garlic in the latter recipe.
New season cabbage is so gorgeous, it’s a shame to cook it. Shred it into spring cabbage salad or make coleslaw, to serve with whole baked brill or grilled red mullet which is in season now too.
Spring is also the time to turn salads into main meals. Thai beef with crunchy crudites and herbs and nam pla dressing, spicy bacon, cucumber and new potato salad or smoked mackerel with avocado, cucumber and celeriac?
And springtime desserts: rhubarb fool, angel food cake to serve with the first, precious strawberries, or a host of multi-flavoured meringues if, during the fridge and freezer tidy-up you’ve encountered some ancient frozen egg whites. Happy spring clean!