FABULOUS MARCH

Make the most of colourful late-winter produce with inspiring recipes from Esther Clark

- Esther Clark

March sees the return of bright and theatrical rhubarb and blood oranges, as well as the last of the season’s green, leafy veg. With the weather still cool, these recipes offer a little comfort, from fried rice to crispy roast and warm, fluffy ricotta pancakes.

Kale is rich in flavour and robust in texture, and packed with vitamin A, folate and iron. It’s delicious tossed into salads, crisped up with olive oil and sea salt or whizzed into a soup. In the fried rice recipe, it’s paired with salty kimchi which offsets its strong flavour.

With a short season, rhubarb should be made the most of. Try poaching it in sugar and orange juice, then freezing it. It can be defrosted and swirled into a creamy cheesecake, used to top granola or eaten with roast duck. It works well with aromatics like fennel seeds, ginger and star anise.

Finally, catch the last of the citrus stars. Blood oranges are wonderful. They look similar to an ordinary orange on the outside, but the flesh inside is ruby red with a sweet, fragrant taste. Try using both the zest and juice in a drizzle cake, sliced into segments in a salad with an oozy burrata or turned into a glossy marmalade. When roasted with butter and sugar, the juice creates an almost caramel-like syrup, which I’ve paired with ricotta hotcakes, but this would be equally delicious with warm crêpes or French toast.

Kale & kimchi fried rice

This speedy meal is brought to life with punchy, fermented kimchi. You can also add another layer of flavour with shichimi togarashi, a Japanese seasoning that is available online and in Asian supermarkets. If you don’t have kale, you can use pak choi or whatever greens you prefer.