It's the perfect time to be cooking asparagus.
Blossoms and hay fever concerns aside, spring is really about asparagus season. A time for asparagus lovers to rejoice and an annual opportunity for sceptics to get onside.
From one-pot pasta to a crunchy green salad, these four recipes will help you embrace those delicious green spears while they are affordable.
With a cooking time of just 15 minutes and minimal prep, this one-pot pasta recipe from Heidi Sze combines about two bunches of asparagus and a lot of staple ingredients.
Lemon and capers will help brighten the dish and either tinned or cooked salmon fillet could be substituted for the tuna, she says.
Hetty Lui McKinnon's galette recipe is an unfussy and adaptable vehicle for your favourite spring vegetables.
The corn could be replaced with fresh peas, podded broad beans, green beans, thinly shaved fennel, broccoli, or crunchy sugar snap or snow peas, Hetty says.
And it can be enjoyed either warm or at room temperature, making any leftovers a potentially perfect work lunch candidate.
Another recipe from Hetty Lui McKinnon, who says this salad is "high on texture and assertive with spring vibes".
If you're not familiar with sauce gribiche, it brings together vinegar, cornichons, capers, mustard and chopped hard-boiled eggs.
"The iconic French sauce is part chunky vinaigrette, part punchy mayonnaise," according to Hetty.
This quiche recipe from Thalia Ho is simple to assemble and includes beginner-friendly pastry.
Asparagus, lemon and goats' cheese is a tried and tested flavour combination, but Thalia says "you can play around with the filling, depending on taste, craving and what's available".
