New baby carrots are starting to arrive, delicious cooked or, keep their fresh green feathery tops on, and they can be eaten raw in summer salads. These are followed by new peas, broad beans, courgettes and young beetroot, and it's the start of our own asparagus season, which traditionally begins on the 1st of May and lasts for a brief, but glorious, eight weeks, so do make the most of it.

Herrings are at their best now along with mackerel and real sea fish with its strong salty flavour, and in this month's recipes I will be making the best use of the season's fresh young produce, which also includes early apricots and cherries, which are now starting to arrive in our supermarkets. And best of all, to my mind, Jersey Royals, these 'gone in a flash' tiny potatoes are delicious just boiled and served with oodles of butter and mint. I'm often asked the best way to cook them - nothing to it - as one of this month's recipes will show!

BRAISED BABY CARROTS

These can be served with almost any savoury dish, either at the beginning or, usually, at the end of a meal.

Serves 6.

Ingredients: 450g (1lb) small baby carrots. 75g (3 ozs) butter. Sea salt. Freshly ground black pepper. Grated nutmeg to taste. Pinch of sugar. ½ cup water. Method: Wash carrots under running water, no need to scrape. Leave carrots whole, steam for 5-8 minutes over a saucepan of boiling salted water. Drain and place in casserole, adding butter, salt, pepper, nutmeg and sugar. Add a little water, cover casserole and cook over a very low heat for about 25-30 minutes until liquid has evaporated and carrots are tender and ready to serve.

BABY TURNIPS

These will go well as a second vegetable with the Braised Baby Carrots.

Serves 4-6.

Ingredients: 12-14 baby turnips. 3 tbsp butter. ½ tsp sugar. Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Method: Peel turnips, leaving 1-2 inches of green tops. Put turnips into a small saucepan with butter and sugar. Add enough water to just cover and cook for 8-12 minutes, until tender. Drain and season to taste.


JERSEY ROYALS COOKED TO PERFECTION

The first of the Jersey Royals can, I think, stand as a dish on their own, making an ideal supper or light lunch meal.

Serves 4.

450g (1lb) Jersey Royals, mint sprigs and butter. Wash potatoes in cold water to remove any
soil, giving a gentle scrub, leaving on the fine skins. Bring to the boil in salted water with a good pinch of salt, and simmer for about 10-15 minutes. Drain well and serve with butter. You can, if you wish, add a few chopped herbs to your butter, but I like to serve them with just a sprig of mint and melted butter.

CREAMY ASPARAGUS AND PASTA

Lightly steamed with a little butter, I think there is no better way to serve asparagus, but it can be expensive at this time of the year, so try this dish which is economical and makes a little asparagus go a long way.

Serves 4.

Ingredients: 225g (8 oz) macaroni. 225g (8 oz) fresh asparagus. 300ml (1/2 pint) hot single cream. Freshly ground black pepper. Salt. 2 eggs, beaten. 5 tbsp freshly grated Parmesan cheese. 25g (1 oz) butter. Method: Boil macaroni in a large pan of salted water according to directions on packet. Cut asparagus into 2cm ( ¾ inch) lengths and parboil them in just enough water to cover, for about 8 minutes. Drain asparagus in strainer held over the pot of boiling macaroni. Then drop asparagus into a pan containing the hot cream and simmer for 2 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Drain macaroni in a colander. Return it to the pan and stir with a wooden spoon over a low heat for 1-2 minutes. Cool slightly. Then carefully mix in the asparagus and cream, followed by the beaten eggs and 3 tbsp of grated Parmesan cheese. Pour mixture into a well-buttered baking dish, sprinkle with remaining cheese and dot with butter. Bake in preheated oven 200C, 400F, Gas Mark 6 for 20-25 minutes until mixture has set and the top is golden and bubbling. Serve hot.

APRICOT FLAN

Serves 6.

This flan makes the most of fresh apricots, and if you are pushed for time, you can use bought shortcrust pastry, which I find works just as well as homemade.

Ingredients: 150g (5 oz) plain flour. 60g (2½ oz) butter. 25g (1 oz) caster sugar. 1 egg yolk. 50g (2 oz) ground almonds. Filling: 175g (6 oz) fresh apricots, halved and stoned. 50g (2 oz) caster sugar. 150ml (¼ pint) 1 egg yolk. Method: Rub butter into flour, add sugar and egg yolk, mixing well, adding a little cold water to bind. Roll out to fit a 23cm (9 inch) flan tin, and bake blind at 200C, 400F, Gas Mark 4 for 12 minutes. Beat sugar, egg yolk and cream together. Cover base of the flan with ground almonds. Arrange apricots, hollow side down on ground
almonds. Cover with cream mixture and bake at 180C, 350F, Gas Mark 4 for 15 minutes until firm. Glaze flan with 2 tbsp sieved apricot jam and juice of ½ lemon and allow to cool.



CHERRY AND COCONUT TART

With cherries starting to arrive at the end of this month, piles of them glistening on greengrocer's displays, they are hard to resist. This tart is one of my favourites. But if you really don't like cherries, then gooseberries or plums make an ideal substitute.

Serves 6-8.

Ingredients: For pastry: 225g (8 oz) plain flour. 110g (4 oz) butter. A little cold water.
Topping: 450g (1lb) cherries. Filling: 110g (4 oz) butter, softened. 110g (4 oz) soft brown sugar. 2 large eggs, beaten. 50g (2 oz) self-raising flour. 75g (3 oz) desiccated coconut.
Method: Place flour and butter into a mixing bowl and rub butter in with tips of fingers until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs, and add enough water to make a firm dough. Roll out pastry and line a 23cm 9 inch flan dish. Chill for 10 minutes, and bake blind in reheated oven 200C, 400F, Gas Mark 6 for 10 – 15 minutes. To make filling, beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Then add beaten eggs and stir in flour and coconut. Spoon the coconut mixture into the pastry case, levelling the top, and arrange stoned cherries on top. Reduce temperature in oven to 180C, 350F, Gas Mark 4 and bake in centre of oven for 35-40 minutes until the coconut mixture is risen and golden.


BANK HOLIDAY PICNIC

With the May Bank Holiday Monday in mind this month, here are two easy picnic recipes. Make the sausage roll the day before. Mix the potato salad before you leave, and take with you a little French dressing in a screw topped jar. And if your day out is rained off, have your picnic at home instead!

SAVOURY SAUSAGE ROLL

Ingredients: For pastry: 110g (4 oz) cottage cheese. 4 tbsp milk. 4 tbsp cooking oil. 225g (8 oz) self-raising flour. Pinch of salt. For the filling: 450g (1lb) sausage meat. 1 tbsp sage and onion. 2 boiled eggs, mashed. Salt and pepper. Method: Rub cheese through sieve. Add milk and oil. Add flour and salt, making a soft dough. Leave in a cool place. Mix sausage meat, eggs and seasonings together. Make into a 25cm (10 inch) roll. Roll pastry out to approximately 12 inches by 8 inches. Put filling on pastry, damp edges, bring to centre and flute. Brush milk on top and bake for 1 hour in preheated oven at 180C, 350F, Gas Mark 4.

POTATO SALAD

Ingredients: 900g (2lb) small waxy potatoes, scrubbed. 4 tbsp French dressing. 4 tbsp mayonnaise. 4 tbsp chopped fresh or dried parsley. 4 spring onions, chopped. Method: Cook potatoes in boiling, salted water for 15-20 minutes until tender. Drain and tip into a large salad bowl. Stir parsley and chopped spring onions into the mayonnaise and pour over the warm potatoes, toss lightly and chill. Pour French dressing over potatoes when ready to serve.

June sees the start of the British-grown soft fruits. With strawberries the ingredient of the month, we will have some simple but irresistible desserts and recipes for light lunches and suppers.