Eat the Seasons March

March

Spring is springing and it’s time to bring fresh green veg and herbs to the table. If you’ve never tried foraging, March is the time to start, with plenty of wild garlic flowering in woodlands between late March and July.

For a wild garlic pesto that will bring the essence of spring to pastas and salads, blitz the garlic with olive oil and stir in finely grated parmesan.

Foodie dates to look out for in March include St David’s Day on the 1st – the perfect time to whip up some Welsh cakes – and National Butchers’ Week from March 7-13.

Pop in to one of the fantastic family-run butchers on our patch, where you’ll find wonderful, locally sourced meat and plenty of unusual bespoke extras, from katsu curry and smokey bourbon sausages at Dave’s Family Butchers to handmade biltong at Biltong South, both in Fareham.

It’s also Mother’s Day on March 27 this year – the perfect chance to practise your cooking skills and give mum a well-deserved day off.

Meat 

Venison is still good, but lighter dishes for spring lend themselves to pork and poultry. If you love seafood, then this is the time to enjoy mussels, scallops, prawns, halibut, salmon and skate.

Fruit 

Rhubarb and citrus fruits are perfect for early spring.

Vegetables 

Now’s the time to use artichokes, beetroot, carrots, cabbage, forced chicory, leeks, parsnips, purple sprouting broccoli, radishes, rosemary, spring greens, spring onions and watercress.

Recipe for the month

Garlicky kale with butterbeans and chilli.

This delicious jumble of kale and soft, garlicky beans is a bowl of whole food goodness that will surely become a favourite.

Ingredients:

1x tin butterbeans – drained and rinsed

3 garlic cloves – peeled and chopped

10 stalks of kales – washed and the woody stalks removed and the leaves roughly torn

1 red chilli, seeds removed and chopped

A good glug of olive oil – approx. 1 tbsp

Black pepper

Tamari sauce (or good quality soy sauce)

Method:

1. When all your ingredients are ready, prepare a large frying pan by drizzling in your olive oil and pop it on a medium heat.
2. Add your garlic to the pan and allow it to gently cook for 2 mins, stirring regularly to prevent it burning.
3. Tip in your butter beans and stir into the garlicky oil.
4. Add your kale and follow with a splash of tamari and some black pepper to taste.
5. Gently fold the kale into the beans and garlic mix until they are all jumbled together. Let the kale wilt in the pan – it’ll change from a dark to vibrant green as it cooks.
6. Lastly, add your chilli to taste. If you don’t have fresh chilli, a few chilli flakes will do the trick to give it a spicy kick.
7. Cook for 2 more minutes and then serve warm.
8. For that extra crunch, top with toasted cashews or pumpkin seeds and an extra drizzle of olive oil.