Dorset PLENTY
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From Farm to Fork
Five seasonal ingredients you should be eating this month
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Asparagus
une is usually peak asparagus season , but thanks to the glorious early spring weather ,
Jthe spears appeared out of the ground in late March this year . In fact , they shot up so fast that many of them were wonky , leading to supermarkets selling them for as little as £ 1 . Great news for those who have always wanted to make a luxury asparagus soup , but didn ’ t want to spend £ 8 to do so . That said , you only need one bundle of asparagus to make a quivering quiche with mint and peas or a salad with gooey eggs , feta and olives .
Strawberry
From roast swan to mince pies filled with mutton and raisins , rich Tudors ate a lot of foods that , quite rightly , haven ’ t survived the ages , but we have Cardinal Wolsey to thank for pairing strawberries with cream , a classic combination that ’ s still enjoyed today in everything from Eton mess to pavlova and cream teas . For a more modern , healthier treatment , try sliced berries with your on-trend avocado toast – use the leftovers in an avocado and strawberry smoothie . Or , if you ’ re feeling a bit naughty , you could infuse a Dorset gin with some strawberries .
Mint
Far too eager to please , mint takes over your garden just when you ’ re demanding more effort from basil and tarragon . Luckily , it goes with just about everything that ’ s in season from strawberries and peas to beetroot and beans . Mix a handful with a yoghurt dressing for a lighter Jersey Royal salad , make a salsa verde to go with lamb or salmon and add a few leaves to a strawberry granita or smoothie . It ’ s also used in classic Pimms and mojito cocktails .
Gooseberry
Like asparagus , the gooseberry has a short season and its own annual festival . North Yorkshire ’ s Egton Bridge Gooseberry Society has been celebrating the green and purple berries for over 200 years and it ’ s easy to see why . They are so versatile – not only do they add a much-needed sharpness to a creamy fool ( add some elderflower cordial to take it to the next level ), but like rhubarb , they ’ re fantastic in a crumble and make for a classic compote to go with oily fish or fatty pork .
Fennel
T he fennel plant is the vegetable version of nose to tail eating that meat eaters are so fond of . Every part of it can be used in your cooking – when baking whole fish , ram leafy fronds into the cavity to add an aniseed flavour , Italians crush the seeds with garlic as a rub for roast pork , and then there ’ s the bulb – sliced thinly , it can be used to stuff sea bass or eaten raw with radishes in a salad . You can also roast wedges with pork chops .
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