March seasonal food, seasonal recipes

What's in season?

March seasonal foods

Spring has sprung! Crisp radishes, spring onions (scallions to the Yanks) and wild salmon grace our plates but this is the last month to enjoy seasonal leeks, mussels, rabbit, parsnips and sprouts.

Lovely leeks

Celebrate... leeks

The Welsh celebrate them, and with good reason. They're synonymous with comforting potato and cheese dishes but are just as tasty served on their own. Anyone care to take a leek?

Flower power

Celebrate... cauliflower

Not only is it available all year round, it really does come in all these colours (we didn't believe it either so we've done a bit of research for you!)

Recommended

Our favourite seasonal foods this month

Spring may be in the air, but it is still too early for many home-grown crops. Instead, play with fresh flavours such as citrus and verdant herbs...

Ra ra radishes

Celebrate... radishes

Crunchy, peppery, juicy, colourful – with adjectives like these how could you resist the radishes? They've even got a festival in their honour!

Rhubarb rhubarb

Don’t let painful memories of bad school dinner puddings put you off. Tom Norrington-Davies celebrates the season of forced rhubarb, which is lured out of its hibernation to be the perfect foil for custard and crumble.

Everything you need to know about rhubarb

Bunny crop

Make the most of... rabbit

What's up, Doc? Bored with beef and chicken? Then experience the wonderful flavours of rabbit this March.

PSB

Celebrate... purple sprouting broccoli

This humble vegetable is going through a purple patch and rightly so.

Mussel power

Make the most of... mussels

The one (and only) bad thing about the arrival of spring is that moreish mussels are off the seasonal menu until September. So, fill up on these juicy morsels while you can.

Clams

Clamming up

Most people couldn’t describe a razor clam, as they can be tricky to find. But Tom Norrington-Davies thinks their flavour more than repays the effort of tracking them down.

Pear necessities

Up the apples and pears!

Although apples, pears and quinces have flourished as far afield as India and Persia, most of us have always associated them with the English country garden. Tom Norrington-Davies urges us to explore their versatility and to try some of our wonderful lesser-known varieties.

Apples

Special K

Celebrate... kale

Hail to kale, it's as good as – if not better than – broccoli, yet it doesn't get the accolade it deserves; so let's give it some!

Eat your greens

Bright leafy greens

It’s time to forget about the boiled, mushy greens of our past and rediscover how versatile and delicious vegetables from the cabbage family can be, says Tom Norrington-Davies.