Asparagus and Lamb

Asparagus and lamb are the real leaders as the avalanche of new season produce begins to to explode through the late spring. The challenging winter months are now a distant cold memory, a bounty of seasonal produce to excite cooks and lovers of great British produce is gaining momentum. I had my first strawberries of the year last weekend and while not yet at there best ( my nan always maintained that strawberries might only be enjoyed from the last week of the Wimbledon Tennis Championship) the juicy, pale red fruits are a welcome addition after months of eating apples, pears, quinces and anything that I managed to preserve to sustain through the short days of winter. New season lamb is now moving towards its best, the price is a little high at the moment but will decrease in the coming weeks as more well finished lambs come to market. Much of the very early lamb has invariably been pushed too quickly, not allowed to finish naturally, as everyone rushes headlong into the spring lamb scrum. Patience will reward you in both pocket and quality. Asparagus has been a feature of all my cooking since early May and this year I've been particularly enjoying it served at room temperture with a good drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, coarsley grated chalky Wensleydale cheese, sea salt and a few twists of black pepper. I will continue to feast on these fine green spears until the 21st June, when the longest day traditionally brings a close to the eating of this British gem.