It's also the end of winter, and when we catch our first whiff of spring, meals become lighter, and new arrivals on the market include an increased variety of salads and imported tomatoes.

Try this Easter lunch which is just a bit different, using chicken instead of the traditional spring lamb.

Chicken is in season all the year round, and today there is ample choice, from the ordinary free range to the organic free range and the yellow corn-fed.

I like to cook free range or organic, and in this recipe I've combined plenty of garlic and rosemary, which produces a wonderful flavour.


ROAST CHICKEN WITH GARLIC & ROSEMARY
Serves 6.

Ingredients:

1 large chicken (2.5kg – 2.7kg); 4 garlic bulbs; 1 lemon; 4 tsp fresh chopped rosemary; 2tbsp olive oil; 50g butter. Method: Separate garlic cloves, leave unpeeled, and put all but 8 into a roasting tin with oil, and roast for 25 minutes, until soft. Then peel cloves, season and mash to a purée, add grated zest of lemon and a little juice, combine with rosemary. Loosen skin on chicken breasts and spread this mixture between the skin and flesh. Drizzle over the melted butter, and add more seasoning. Put the remaining eight cloves on the outside of chicken between the leg and breast. Put the remaining lemon zest inside the cavity. Roast chicken in preheated oven 190C, 375F, Gas Mark 5, positioning on right breast for 30 minutes, turning onto left breast for a further 30 minutes, then turn chicken on its back and roast for another 35-45 minutes until it's cooked and the outside of crispy and golden.



ROAST SPRING VEGETABLES

When it comes to vegetables, nothing can beat fresh greens, and all sorts of baby vegetables are available at this time of the year – you can choose from onions, peppers, courgettes, carrots, or broccoli florets and spring onions.

SERVES 6-8.

Ingredients:900g mixed baby vegetables; 2½ tbsp olive oil. Freshly ground black pepper.

Method: Cut broccoli into small florets, peel baby onions, clean and trim other vegetables. Pour oil into a large roasting tin 25 minutes before you are ready to serve chicken, and heat for 5 minutes. Add vegetables and cook for 20-25 minutes turning and basting occasionally. Serve with roast chicken and roast potatoes or pan roasted potatoes: To serve, rinse and dry 2kg small new potatoes, keeping skins on. Heat 100g butter in large casserole, add potatoes and fry on hob for about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Cover with lid, reduce heat and cook for a further 45 minutes, shaking pan from time to time, until potatoes are cooked and tender. Season and serve.




RASPBERRY PAVLOVA

This is the perfect pudding for your Easter lunch, and it's quick and easy to prepare.

Serves 6-8.

Ingredients: 4 egg whites; 225g caster sugar; ½ tsp vanilla essence; 1 tsp cornflour; 1 tsp vinegar; 25g flaked almonds. Method: Draw a 20cm circle on non-stick paper and place on baking tray. Whisk egg whites until stiff and standing in peaks. Beat in sugar, 1 tbsp at a time. Fold in vanilla essence, vinegar and cornflour. Spoon meringue mixture over the round on the non-stick paper, making a slight hollow in centre. Bake in preheated oven 130C, 250F, Gas Mark ½ for an hour or until firm. Leave to cool, carefully remove non-stick paper. Place on serving plate and fill the hollow with 300ml whipped cream and 225g frozen raspberries (thawed) and sprinkle with flaked almonds.


FOR YOUR AFTERNOON TEA
a delicious
RHUBARB CAKE

The rhubarb season is brief, and forced rhubarb may still be around, but I think the greener outdoor fruit gives a real sharp rhubarb taste. This easy to bake sweet tangy sponge cake has a crumbly almond and sugar topping, which keeps well in a tin for 3-4 days, and also makes a delicious pudding served warm with cream or thick yoghurt.

Serves 8.

Ingredients: 575g rhubarb; 200g butter; 150g caster sugar; few drops of vanilla essence; pinch of salt; 2 medium eggs; 200g plain flour; 1 teaspoon baking powder; 75g cornflour; 75g ground almonds; icing sugar for dusting. Method: Preheat oven to 350F, 180C, Gas Mark 4. Cut rhubarb into 1 inch chunks. Cream 125g butter with two thirds of sugar, vanilla essence and salt until fluffy. Gently stir in beaten eggs. Mix the flour with the baking powder and half the cornflour and fold into creamed mixture. Add half the ground almonds. Grease a 23cm spring form cake tin. Put cake mixture in tin, smooth over and arrange the rhubarb on top. Rub together remaining sugar, butter, almonds and cornflour. Spread crumble mixture over the rhubarb. Bake on the lowest shelf for about 75 minutes until firm and golden. Cool and dust with icing sugar before serving.

IN SEASON THIS MONTH
April is the month when things really get going in our gardens, markets and shops.
The first of the new young vegetables start to appear and, after the winter months of cooking stews and soups, we can now return to cooking lighter dishes.
The new season Welsh lamb is highly recommended now, and much of it is bred for the Easter market.
Jersey Royals will soon start to appear, and for a special treat look out for Sea Trout, Halibut, Lemon Sole and Mackerel all delicious now.
Citrus fruits are tailing off, so for flavour look for bananas and pineapples.
Forced rhubarb is still about, and early Spanish strawberries sometimes have a surprisingly good flavour.