What’s in season – April
April showers us with an abundance of in-season fruits and vegetables. But what produce is in season in spring? Well, there’s something to suit everyone’s taste. This year, April is a busy month with a long Easter break, so it’s more important than ever to plan meals and make sure the kitchen is full of April seasonal foods.
There is some fantastic fruit and veg in season now. Early spring is a fantastic time for fresh greens and tropical fruits. Spring greens, purple sprouting broccoli, cauliflower, bananas, spring onions, pak choi, passionfruit are all at their best right now. Check out our Spring Recipe Collection for more seasonal inspiration.
In-season asparagus
It’s worth the yearly wait for these British stalks – fresh asparagus is delicious. Finely slice and whisk with eggs and grated parmesan to make a fancy scrambled egg on toast. Or to give them a Chinese spin, roughly chop and stir-fry with beef strips, plenty of garlic and black pepper for a speedy midweek dinner. For an Italian take, try dicing and mixing with ricotta, lemon and black pepper to make a tasty ravioli filling.
Crab and Asparagus Linguine with Chilli
Super simple and oh-so-tasty, this crab and asparagus linguine with chilli recipe is spring comfort food at its best. Ready in just twenty minutes and full of flavour, this is a classic combination of in-season asparagus (one of the many excellent fruits and vegetables at its best this month) and crab meat served over perfectly cooked pasta. Delicious.
In-season sweetheart cabbage
With a sweeter flavour than other cabbages, this is one of the best places to start if you want to try fermenting foods. Make sauerkraut by shredding and massaging with salt (2% of the weight of the cabbage) and packing into a clean jar to ferment for two weeks. For an eat-now option for your cabbage, cut into wedges, char in a hot pan, then braise in a little chicken stock for a fab side dish to a roast dinner.
Grilled Sweetheart Cabbage Caesar Salad with Parsley and Shallot Salad
This Thomasina Miers recipe is one of our favourite spring salads. Using charred in-season sweetheart cabbage instead of the usual romaine or cos lettuce, it’s a dish that is fresh and light and indulgent and moreish all at once.Creamy, zingy and easy to make, this roasted purple sprouting broccoli with baked ricotta is a delicious way to use the in-season vegetable. Ready in just a half an hour, it’s perfect for a tasty lunch or a light dinner.
In-season cauliflower
One of the most versatile and nutritious vegetables there is, vitamin C-rich cauliflower is a fantastic flavour carrier but can also stand on its own as the hero of a dish. Dip bite-sized pieces into a spiced gram-flour batter and fry in 1cm of oil for speedy pakoras to have with beers. Or, for a Middle Eastern twist on cauliflower soup, roast then blitz until smooth with yoghurt and tahini, and sprinkle with a nutty dukkah spice mix.
Cauliflower Crust Chicken and Four Cheese Pizza
This gluten-free pizza is a fantastic way to use in-season cauliflower. Ready in just 30 minutes, the grated cauliflower adds a delicious extra texture to the cheese, chicken and walnut toppings.
In-season baby gem lettuce
These are best when they’re super crunchy, so plunge into iced water for 5-10 mins, then drain really well before adding to salads. You could also whizz with lime, jalapeños, garlic and olive oil to make a twist on Peruvian aji verde sauce – great for marinating prawns or steak, or to dress a Tuscan panzanella salad of torn bread and sliced tomato. Not sure what to do with leftover leaves? Blitz them into your green smoothie.e.
One-pot Spring Chicken Stew with Asparagus, Peas and Lettuce
This one-pot spring chicken stew with asparagus, peas and lettuce is a fantastic example of great value one-pot cooking and the versatility of lettuce. A great way to use this seasonal ingredient.
In-season pea shoots
If you’re not a fan of the peppery flavour of rocket, swap it out for pea shoots – in pasta or salads, or try them in steak tagliata, an Italian dish of grilled steak sliced and served on a bed of leaves. Fresh and tender, they taste like a cross between peas and spinach, and they make a fantastic pesto. Try blitzing with walnuts, lemon juice and olive oil, and enjoy mixed into fresh pasta or drizzled over grilled lamb chops.
Raw Courgettes with Lemon, Feta, Pea, Mint and Pea Shoots
Ready in just 11 minutes, this recipe is definitely 10/10. Raw courgettes with lemon, feta, pea, mint and in-season pea shoots brought together to make an absolutely delicious spring salad.
Browse our April in-season produce on-site here.