March didn’t quite end as I had hoped, our first Grub Club event was amazing, the rain held off and the crowds came out, but it seems to have been cold and rainy since then and the bank holiday weekend is going to be a washout. However, it wouldn’t be Easter without some Spring Lamb; I bought a large shoulder of Staffordshire Lamb from Walter Smith’s, and I shall be coating it in Moroccan Spices and cooking it long and slow on the barbeque for dinner on Easter Monday.  We might not be able to enjoy it in the garden, but we'll certainly enjoy a taste of warmer climates.

Of course it wouldn’t be Easter without seasonal produce: Chocolate Eggs and Hot Cross Buns. Unfortunately I’m not a big fan of Hot Cross Buns, that was until I tasted the orange and chocolate ones from Hunnypot Cottage, they are a revelation. So good that my hubby specifically asked me to go in this week to get some more. I’m not sure how long Ruth will be making them for, but my tip is get there quick, really quick.

I think April might be my favourite month for seasonal produce.  It finally feels like spring, and after months of casseroles and stews I’m looking forward to the changes this month will bring. Top of my list is Asparagus, I regularly drive past New Farm and I am eagerly awaiting the arrival of the first spears, I love it simply steamed with hollandaise sauce, griddled as a tasty side dish with a drizzle of garlic oil, chopped and added to vegetable rice, in stir-fries; the list goes on and on.  Maybe it is because it has such a short season that I love it so much, I don’t have time to get fed up of eating it before it’s disappeared for another year.

I’m hoping for some sunny weekends this month and will be enjoying my Lamb Koftas on the barbeque, although you can cook them in the oven if it rains (again). I am a little bit addicted to the Egyptian Baladee Bread from The Lichfield Food Assembly, and it’s lovely stuffed with these koftas and some coleslaw or salad.  Continuing with my lamb feasting this month I am going to invest in a tagine pot, I’ve never had one before, but I love to cook lamb long and slow and these are the perfect vessel.  I have my eye on a very stylish stainless steel one by Trouva  that I've seen in The Kitchen Shop, which you can even use on an induction hob.

Veggies are just starting to show the signs of the changing season, I love a nice stir-fry for a midweek dinner, it’s so quick and easy and with all the lovely spring vegetables: Purple Sprouting Broccoli, Spring Onions, Asparagus and if it does get a bit chilly then I might just cook up some spring minestrone soup. However,  I’m keeping my fingers crossed for a warm April, so we can start to see some of the lovely tender herbs and salad leaves arriving in the shops.  And I couldn’t believe it when I saw that Bradbury’s Farm shop already have some very early Jersey Royals available, so I’ll be in there next week, I love them simply boiled with a bit of salt and butter, delicious.