There was eventually a silver lining to the clouds that rained down during last year's hay-making season.
According to David Douglas, a local asparagus producer who I visit when we've finished our own home-grown crop, that wet weather resulted in a lot of growth in the asparagus ferns which should bode well for this year's crop.
This, of course, still depends on the weather warming up prior to the start of harvesting, which this year was on the 26 April, was two weeks later than his earliest date but by no means the latest he's started cutting.
Asparagus is my favourite vegetable and its arrival heralds the real presence of spring and warmer weather.
I just love using it as it doesn't need much elaborate cooking. The best way in my opinion is to roast it with a little olive oil and plenty of seasoning, preferably as soon as it is picked, in a hot oven for just 10 minutes.
It also makes a great summery substitute to roast potatoes when I cook the chicken with tarragon sauce. If you prefer a lighter dish try boiling very simply with Jersey Royal potatoes to make a delicious and simple salad.
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I wanted to remind people of lemon and meringue pie a classic pudding as I found it hard to find a recipe for it in my "modern" cookbooks.
Lemon cakes and pies came into vogue during the middle ages, but it wasn't until the 17th century that European cooks learned to separate egg yolks and whites and create baked meringue. In the 1800s lemon and meringue pie became a common dessert in restaurants and is now certainly a favourite pudding in our household.
Salad of New Potatoes and Asparagus
Serves 4.
450g (1lb) asparagus
450g (1lb) new potatoes
1 large sprig of mint
For the dressing:
Juice of 1 lemon
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
½ teaspoon honey
150ml (5fl oz) olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
A few leaves of sorrel leaves, chopped finely
Simmer the potatoes in lightly salted water until cooked, then drain. Prepare the asparagus by cutting the tips off about 5cm down (you can use the stalks to make soup). Cook the asparagus tips either by boiling in salted water or steaming until just tender. Make the dressing by whisking all the ingredients together; if the dressing needs thinning down just add a little water. Place the potatoes and asparagus in a bowl, season again and pour over most of the dressing. Turn gently and spoon onto warmed plates.
Breast of Chicken with Roasted Asparagus and a Tarragon Sauce
Serves 2.
2 breasts of chicken with skin left on
Olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
A bundle of asparagus
For the tarragon sauce:
150ml (5 fl oz) chicken stock
50ml vermouth or white wine
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons double cream
About 20 tarragon leaves
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Preheat the oven to 200C (400F, Gas mark 6). Heat an ovenproof frying pan until very hot. Season the chicken breasts well with salt and pepper. Add a tablespoon of oil to the pan and then add the chicken breasts, skin-side down. Cook for about two minutes until the skin is lightly golden, then turn over and cook for another couple of minutes. Place in the oven and cook for about 8-10 minutes until the chicken is tender and cooked through. Leave to rest in a warm place while you cook the asparagus. Turn up the oven to 220C (425F, Gas mark 7). Trim the stems of the asparagus where they are woody then place them in a roasting tin, drizzle over a little oil and season well. Roast for about 10 minutes or until tender. To make the sauce, use the frying pan that you cooked the chicken in and leave all the juices from chicken in the pan. Add the stock to the juices in the pan on a high heat, reduce it to about half and then add the vermouth or wine. Reduce, then whisk in the mustard and cream, bring to the boil until thickened. Finally add the tarragon leaves and seasoning. To serve this dish: Some juices will have come out of the resting chicken; pour these into the sauce and bring to the boil. Slice the chicken breasts at an angle and lay onto a plate, arrange the roasted asparagus around the chicken and spoon over the sauce.
Lemon and Meringue Pie
Serves 6-8.
You will also need a loose-bottomed fluted tin approximately 9in x 1in deep
For the pastry:
225g (8oz) plain flour
150g (5oz) butter
1 egg
For the filling:
Grated rind and juice of 3 large lemons
15 fl oz cold water
4 ½ level tablespoons cornflour
75g (3oz) caster sugar
3 large egg yolks
50g (2oz) butter
For the meringue:
3 large egg whites
175g (6oz) caster sugar
Preheat the oven to 200C (400F Gas mark 6). Make the pastry by rubbing the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add the egg and work it into the mixture until it forms a ball (I use a food processor). Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface and use to line the flan tin. Bake blind using baking beans and foil for 10 minutes. Remove the baking beans and foil and bake the pastry shell for another five minutes or until the base has dried out. Remove from the oven and reduce the temperature of the oven to 150C (300F, Gas mark 2). Put the cornflour and sugar into a bowl and add enough of the cold water to make a smooth paste. Set aside, then take a saucepan and pour in the rest of the water along with the grated lemon rind. Bring this to the boil, then pour it onto the cornflour paste and mix until smooth. Transfer the mixture back into the saucepan and bring back to the boil. Simmer gently for about a minute, stirring all the time. Remove from the heat and beat in the egg yolks, lemon juice and finally the butter. Pour the lemon mixture into the cooked pastry case. For the meringue, use a large bowl and whisk the egg whites until fairly stiff then gradually whisk in the caster sugar until the meringue is stiff and standing in peaks. Spoon over the lemon filling, sprinkling a little extra caster sugar over the top and bake in the oven on the bottom shelf for about 45 minutes or until pale beige and crisp, you may need to cover the top to stop it going a darker colour. Serve warm or cold with cream.