Springtime Menu (don't forget the Pie!)

We’re all suffering from Vitamin D deficiencies after a distinct lack of sunshine and abundant quantities of rain in recent months! 🌧️🌧️🌧️

We’re longing for the days when we take dinner outside and eat a pie in the garden with a glass of wine, and wait for the sun to set!

Until then, a hot pasty when you're out for a stroll is ALWAYS a good idea 😊 

While we’re not quite at BBQ weather yet, it may be just about warm enough in short bursts in the coming weeks to cook in the kitchen before dashing outside to enjoy the evening glow 🤞🤞🤞. So we’ve prepped a simple dining al fresco menu in preparation (as long as you're fully prepared to peg it back inside if needed)! When it does start to warm up - hopefully sooner rather than later, you can get out there in a shot and bask in the rays 😎☀️

First, we suggest starting the evening affair with a refreshing Pea and Mint soup, which would whet the palette and leave plenty of room for pie! Chuck some spring onions into a large pan with a potato, a couple of cloves of garlic and some stock. Simmer for 15 minutes or so then bung in your peas and cook for a further 5 minutes (don’t overdo the peas or you’ll lose the beautiful fresh taste!). Stir in some mint, and a squeeze of lemon juice.

Then you’ve just got to blitz it and season! Stir in a healthy dollop of yoghurt or crème fraiche on top and voilà. You could always pop a sprinkling of pancetta on top if it takes your fancy!

For the pièce de resistance (the best bit!)… go for a pie with some potatoes and a fresh Spring salad. Sweet potatoes cut into chunky wedges (the chunkier, the better we always say), popped into the oven for 40 mins or chargrilled for extra pizazz make a fabulous addition to a pie plate. Alternatively, it’s coming up to Jersey Royal season so pop some of these delightful little tatties into boil before smothering them in butter and herbs!

Then throw together a salad 🥗 with some rocket (or whatever leaves you have in the fridge!), a sprinkling of walnuts or pine nuts, some sprigs of asparagus and dress with a simple lemon and olive oil dressing.

A fresh salad balances out the richness of a pie! Our spring pie recommendations include a fragrant steak and stilton pie, or a butternut squash and goat’s cheese veggie pie.

In our humble opinion, you cannot go wrong with a scrumptious creamy chicken, leek and bacon pie at any time of the year! This pie always remains a favourite in the bestsellers so we think others must agree!

 

Now beverages are also worth considering carefully! If it’s not too chilly, there’s nothing like a cider or glass of crisp white to accompany an evening meal in the open air 🍺🍏

 

Time for something sweet! If you’ve got plenty of room left or you have a separate stomach for dessert (us too!) then whip up a crumble to gobble afterwards. Opt for a tangy rhubarb crumble with oodles of custard or cream. Delish!