KEY POINTS:
As soon as the sun starts shining one's mind wafts away to the beach, summer dresses and jandals - but also the thought of having the whole gamut of spring salad components on hand to throw together in a large bowl dressed with the simplest and finest of ingredients.
Beautiful baby carrots which only need a gentle rinse, sliced baby fennel bulbs, spinach leaves and young courgettes sliced into ribbons, all thrown together with a delicious white balsamic and extra virgin olive oil dressing.
Or pair precious whitebait, simply fried, with slices of avocado, orange, baby salad greens and a dressing made from orange juice and avocado oil, so tantalising and fresh. And let's not forget the first of the season asparagus appearing on the shelves now.
No need to peel, just break off the woody ends, toss in a little oil then into a hot oven for a few minutes. Smothered with some tasty pesto, a handful of peeled broad beans and crumbled ewes' milk cheese - so good !
Chef's tip
Be generous with the ingredients so all that is needed is some fine crusty bread and you will have a complete meal.