As a chef, spring is my favourite season. We have come out of the cold and somewhat culinary bleak winter and are greeted by new seasonal fresh produce. The bees are busy pollinating and as a result we get the delights that are courgette flowers, fragrant herbs and, of course, there is spring lamb.
It’s easy to be inspired and this comes through in the menu at True bistro where seasonal, fresh and flavoursome produce is always the focus. It’s a delight to turn my favourite season into a delicious, simple three-course menu that truly celebrates spring and ensures you and your guests are in touch with all the bounty Mother Nature provides.
Crispy courgette flowers with parmigiano, chilli, lemon and ricotta
I love this dish. As a family, we always pick the courgette flowers from the garden, dust them down and start cooking them until crispy. The kids grate the Parmigiano and they're gone in moments — then we head back out to pick some more for another round. This is a very quick dish to cook and serve, so ensure you have all your ingredients ready to go. Get the recipe
Hot pepper lamb rack with smoked almond and inca berry tabbouleh and spiced carrot
This recipe combines two of my great food loves – lamb racks and fresh herbs, lots of them. It calls for a few new ingredients, the gochujang paste you can get from most Asian grocers and inca berries, which are available at most organic fruit and veg shops. Both are well worth the effort to find. Once you have all the ingredients, it's really a quick marinade-and-build style of dish that is packed with complementing flavours. Get the recipe
Buttermilk fromage blanc with spring strawberries, pistachio and basil
This dish will feature at True bistro through December as part of our summer celebration terrace dinner menu, and if you've got this far, you are preparing a recipe that I cooked for the Queen. That's something for the table talk later. Get the recipe
