March for me is all about spring flowers, I cannot resist buying a bunch of daffodils or tulips every time I walk past a flower stall.   After a very cold and grey February, March is definitely forecast to start the same, but I think we are all hoping it will improve and we get some warmer weather for the long.  It’s a month full of events: starting with Real Bread Week (24th February to 3rd March), followed by Mother’s Day on Sunday the 11th.  We have far too many places to enjoy a pint of Guinness to forget it’s St Patricks day on March 17th, I will be enjoying mine in The Horse and Jockey. Our first Grub Club event in Lichfield is on 28th March and we end the month with Hot Cross Buns on Good Friday and too much chocolate over the Easter Bank Holiday weekend: is it really only 31 days?

We will be enjoying the last of the winter squashes at the  beginning of March,  including my Butternut Squash Risotto, which is warming and satisfying, particularly after a chilly dog walk. I may even have it with some tasty local bread in honour of real bread wee; we really are spoilt for choice in Lichfield, I’m partial to a nice wholemeal loaf from Hunnypot Cottage or how about the award-winning sourdough from Hindley’s and not forgetting the moreish dark rye from Bore Street Bakery. All this talk of bread makes me think of beef stew, there are still lots of root vegetables in season and I will be packing mine with carrots, swede, parsnip and potatoes, and mopping up the juices with some great bread.

We have some amazing British fish and shellfish that are both tasty and reasonably priced; particularly during the early days of spring, if you like oysters then March is the season for you, unfortunately I’m not a massive fan, I’ll have one or two but then I’m done, but I do love cockles, especially simply cooked with a bit of bacon, spring onions and white wine with pasta.

Most of my shopping at the minute is coming from Lichfield Food Assembly we are already in our third month and I just love the fact that I can sit with a cup of coffee on a Sunday morning to place my order. There are an ever-expanding array of local suppliers and it’s a great indicator of what’s seasonal and locally available. I’ve been enjoying smoked mackerel and scrambled eggs as a hearty winter breakfast, and it makes a nice change to porridge on a weekend morning.

I like nothing better than getting in the kitchen at the weekend, and the Easter weekend is always filled with lots of eating and merrymaking with friends and family.  I’m hoping for a mild bank holiday, so we can dust the barbeque off.  We have some amazing butchers in Lichfield, all of whom make fabulous home-made sausages, if the weather is good we might even have a taste test – I’ll let you know how we get on.