An Island Chef – My Spring Favourites. Spring sees a wealth of seasonal foods arrive in the kitchen while we still have lots of wonderful winter vegetables to use. Early forced Rhubarb brings a sharp, refreshing lift to jaded palates. A little later in the season we get some of my favourite ingredients. Jersey Royal potatoes and fresh asparagus to name just two. These are wonderful on their own with a little salt and butter. They are also wonderful with seafood, chicken and new season lamb.
Feta Cheese and Spring Vegetable Salad
Mussels make a great lunch or supper dish, and they go with so many different flavours such as Thai green curry sauce and cider and bacon. This is a tradition from nearby Normandy. Samphire is great to collect from the beach and use as an alternative green vegetable. It is particular well suited to serve with fish and seafood. For a brief period, Wild Garlic is available which makes a wonderful pesto for serving with pasta.
During Springtime we get to celebrate Mothering Sunday and what better time for a traditional roast dinner. Easter is normally the time to serve roast lamb with fresh mint sauce and on St. Patrick’s Day the Irish speciality is a bowl of hearty Irish stew. The first week of March is British Pie Week and time to bake some delicious pies to eat.
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Moules à la Normande
Moules à la Normande are a variation of the classic Moules marinière using the cider produced in the region. Some recipes use mushrooms and some bacon which is how I like mine. We have a long tradition of cider making in the Channel Islands
Feta and Spring Vegetable Salad
I love the flavours of asparagus, tender stem broccoli and courgettes. Especially when they are quickly cooked with a little garlic, chilli, salt, and good olive oil. What could be nicer for that first lunch outdoors? This dish is also a great side dish to go with a roast leg of Lamb and some Jersey Royals for a fabulous Sunday lunch.
Grilled Lamb cutlets, New season Potatoes, Asparagus and Beernaise sauce
Spring is the season of renewal and there are lots of fresh exciting things to cook and eat. This recipe includes four of mine so is pretty much a winner. Lamb, asparagus, delicious Jersey potatoes and a beer flavoured sauce. Yum
Roast Chicken and Jersey Royals with Lemon, Golden Raisins and Pine nuts.
All across the fertile fields of Jersey, you can now see acres of plastic sheets. These are covering the wonderful Jersey main season potato crop. The earliest growers will be harvesting from polytunnels and glasshouses in late February. The outdoor potato harvest lasts from early April through to June depending of course on the climate conditions.
Baked Rice Pudding with Rhubarb and Ginger
Baked rice pudding. I am not sure about you but I find when I am anxious I really like comfort food. This recipe for rice pudding is perfect. Topped with poached rhubarb, then my secret ingredient some crumbled ginger biscuits.
