Monday 30 March 2009

The clocks are springing forward and things are definitely looking up.  People are emerging from hibernation and the cafes and bistros are dusting down their garden tables and chairs and putting them outside.  Even on a blustery day there are hardy folk encased in their woollies, sitting and watching the world go by with their gloved hands wrapped around their cappuccinos.  It's lovely when you can start to think about dining al fresco - maybe it's still a little way off before we can be sure of a shiver-free experience but it's the thought that counts!

In the meantime we can still enjoy the cosiness that late winter/early spring has to offer as regards mealtimes.  Roast chicken has to be one of the most comforting dishes ever.  I love it with creamy mashed potato and cauliflower cheese - this could be construed as a "beige too far" but I don't care, sometimes that's all you want.  Last weekend we were feeling a bit more vibrant and in need of colour so we roasted a beautiful butternut squash with olive oil, rosemary and thyme, steamed a few green beans and broccoli and baked some Hasselback potatoes.  Hedgehog potatoes the kids might call them.  You just cut deepish slits into each large baking potato (Maris Pipers or King Edwards are good for this), rub them in a little olive oil, sea salt and maybe a few chopped herbs and roast them for an hour or so while the chicken is cooking.  Lovely and crisp on the outside and soft in the middle - yum.  Our huge free-range bird was juicy and tender with its rough stuffing of lemon, onion, garlic and thyem and amply served four of us with more to spare for sandwiches the next day.

If the weather holds out this weekend we might even fire up the barbecue but that could be a little optimistic!  We were even talking about camping the other day ....

Happy cooking! 

AMT