Sluttery Food News

I should be telling you about all the lovely produce that's becoming available now that Spring has sprung. Instead, most of those little veg are hiding under their duvets, waiting for it to get a bit warmer (I'm doing the same thing) so there's not loads of seasonal vegetables to talk about. Kale is still kicking around, but there is some British grown watercress, spinach, radishes, purple sprouting broccoli and new potatoes on the way, mostly ones that have been grown undercover to protect the poor dears from the frost. Rhubarb is available now and I'll be using some to make gluten free clafoutis and an amazing boozy rhubarb and ginger trifle. The best seasonal fruit this months comes from warmer climes (unsurprisingly), look out for oranges, and passion fruit on offer as they become more abundant.

This is the last month with an 'r' in it for a while, so grab some mussels while you can. Crab, mackerel and sea trout are all in season, too, ask you fishmonger to prepare it for you to make your life easier. Back on land, spring lamb and rabbit are the meats to eat in April, try Hazel's rolled lamb breast for a cheap and delicious way to serve it. You can buy rabbit from most butchers, ask them to portion it for you and treat it like you would chicken or pork.

Eat and drink - I'm sure you'll agree that we still need a hint of chilli in our meals, at least until the hailstones stop falling round my way. Sriracha has had it's moment in the sun, now it's time to get excited about gochujang red pepper paste. Gochujang is a Korean chilli paste with a deep miso-like flavour that works especially well in stews and soups. You can buy it in oriental supermarkets or from Sous Chef. To mark National Coffee Week, the London Coffee Festival is held in the Old Trueman Brewery, Brick Lane from 25th to 28th April. If you can't make it, you can always celebrate at home by joining a coffee club, we love Bean and Ground and Kopi.

Cook - It's Bread National Bread Week from 16th to 22nd this month so it's the perfect time to get stuck into some dough and give baking a loaf a go. We've got plenty of recipes you can try. If that's a bit daunting, why not sign up for a bakery class? Different Breid in Glasgow and The School of Artisan Food in Nottinghamshire offer great courses.

Free From Find - Cold mornings need a warm breakfast and the gluten free Perk!er have a brilliant range of porridges, from Fruity Berry to Gingerbread and Raisin (with little chunks of GF gingerbread in it). To make breakfast on the go a bit easier, they even come in instant porridge pots and they're available in selected Tesco stores.