May has provided some glorious weather giving the heave ho to the Winter/ Spring dishes on restaurant menus. Now is the time for trying lighter dishes. Young leaves are exceedingly versatile, simple to grow at home and very quick to propagate. Sowing salads in funky rows in the garden or in pots and troughs can provide a ready meal at little cost.

If time does not permit growing your own rocket, land cress or mixed leaves, then there is a myriad of salad producers in Dorset, from seasonal producers such as St Giles salads, Long Critchel Bakery Walled Garden or Future Farms in Martin.

Mark is picking wild garlic for his “seasonal dish”

The months top ingredient

Watercress is at its height now and even has its own festival in late May in Alresford, Hampshire. Much of supermarket watercress is actually produced by Sun Salads based in Cranborne, though there are many cress beds across Dorset and Hampshire.

Watercress is a natural super food with high vitamin A, B and C along with high iron zinc and magnesium levels, so is great for health as well as for taste. A versatile ingredient the leaves can be:

• Wilted in a hot pan with a dash of oil as a vegetable accompaniment,
• Dressed with a vinaigrette as instant salad
• Blitzed with hot stock, potato and a knob of butter to create a quick tasty soup
• Added to crushed or mashed root vegetables to creating a contrasting crunch

Chefs trick of the month:
Season (salt and pepper) and add salad dressing/vinaigrette to the inside of a mixing bowl prior to adding your delicate leaves, thus ensuring they are all dressed uniformly.

What to look out for this month

Asparagus is in mid flow, though be sure to buy glossy young bright green spears steering clear of the over sized woody spears or those that are dry and drooping. To keep fresher in hot weather cut the end of the asparagus and place in water. They are best served with a soft poached egg and grated Woolsery goat’s cheese.

Chickens rooting around in wild garlic and bluebells near Cranborne

Seasonal Dish

A walk through Cranborne woods a few weeks ago provided great inspiration for a dish for those comfort food moments. A risotto made with local pearl barley (instead of rice) needs to be cooked for a lot longer than a traditional risotto but has a lovely texture. Add chicken, mushrooms, and finish with wild garlic for a tasty supper dish.

All the dishes or combinations have been on the ever-changing La Fosse menu over the last month.

I look forward talking to you all next month again and in the meantime wish you Happy Cooking and remember, buy local!

Next month read how to poach the perfect egg