Sweet and savoury baking recipes for April and May’s seasonal fruit and veg
Seasonal food is fresher, tastier and more nutritious, having used less pesticides, preservatives and chemicals.
Eating seasonal, local food is also better for the environment, having travelled less and contributing less to greenhouse gasses produced from food production and transport.
With Earth Day fast approaching on 22 April, it’s the perfect time to focus on cooking with ingredients that are food for us and the planet.
These recipes make the most of the fruit and veg in season this April and May – asparagus, spinach, lemon and rhubarb.
Cheese muffins with sweetcorn and spinach
Makes: 12 muffins
Ingredients:
175g plain flour
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
150g pre-grated cheese
50g baby spinach, shredded
100g tinned sweetcorn, drained
2 eggs
150g unsalted butter, melted
150ml milk
Equipment:
Mixing bowl
Wooden spoon
Muffin tin
Muffin cases x 12
Measuring spoons
Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 180C.
2. Combine the flour, bicarbonate, cheese, spinach and sweetcorn in the mixing bowl.
3. Add the eggs, melted butter and milk and mix it all together.
4. Divide the batter evenly into the muffin cases.
5. Bake for 20-25 minutes until risen and golden. Serve warm.
Tip: Don’t have spinach or sweetcorn? Experiment with your favourite fillings – chopped red pepper, onions or cubed ham make for delicious alternatives. You can also add finely chopped chili or chili pepper flakes to add a spicy kick!
Leek and asparagus traybake tart
Makes: one 20x30cm tart
Prep time: 15 mins | Cooking time: 30 mins
Ingredients:
400g plain flour
200g salted butter, plus 30g for the leeks
2 leeks (500g, finely shredded)
350g full fat cream cheese
150ml double cream
3 eggs, plus 1 for egg washing
2 packets of fine asparagus (200g)
Equipment:
Frying pan
Wooden spoon or spatula
Large mixing bowl
Chopping board
Knife
20x30cm tin
Rolling pin
Pastry brush/finger
Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 180C (fan).
2. In the large mixing bowl, combine the flour and butter with your fingers until a crumb consistency is achieved. Add 4tbsp of cold water and bring together to form a pastry dough.
3. Tip the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and roll into a rectangle large enough to line the baking tin.
4. Roll the pastry back onto the rolling pin, drape over the tin, then lift and tuck into the corners and up the sides. Trim any excess and place in the freezer.
5. Finely chop the leeks and soften in butter in the frying pan over a medium heat until slightly translucent. This should take 3-4 mins. Set to one side.
6. Wipe out the large mixing bowl and pour in the double cream, eggs and cream cheese and mix together until smooth.
7. Add the leeks into the mixture, season to taste and then pour into the chilled pastry case.
8. Arrange the asparagus spears on top and lightly fold in the pastry around the edge. Beat the remaining egg and brush the pastry edges.
9. Bake for 30-35 minutes until the filling has set and the pastry is golden.
10.Allow to cool slightly or completely before slicing and serving.
Lemon and blueberry muffins
Makes: 12
Ingredients:
175g unsalted butter, softened, plus 60g extra for the buttercream
175g caster sugar
1 lemon, zested
3 eggs
200g self-raising flour
150g blueberries
250g icing sugar (for the buttercream)
Equipment:
Muffin tray
Muffin cases (or make your own by shaping parchment squares over a glass)
Mixing bowl
Electric hand whisk
Tablespoons
Zester/grater
Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 160C (fan) and line your muffin tray with cases.
2. In the mixing bowl, cream together the 175g butter and caster sugar with the electric hand whisk. Add the eggs and whisk to combine.
3. Add in the flour and the lemon zest and mix until smooth, before stirring through the blueberries.
4. Divide the batter evenly across the lined muffin tin, then bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes, until the muffins are golden and springy to touch in the centre.
5. Whilst the muffins are baking, make the buttercream by mixing the 60g butter, icing sugar and juice of the lemon until smooth.
6. Once the muffins have cooled, ice them with the buttercream and top with more fresh blueberries.
Rhubarb traybake tart
Makes: one 20x30cm tart
Prep time: 10 mins | Cooking time: 30 mins
Ingredients:
500g plain flour
250g unsalted butter
60g icing sugar
750g rhubarb
200g caster sugar, plus extra for sprinkling on top
40g cornflour
Zest of one orange
Egg for egg washing
Equipment:
Large mixing bowl
Knife
Chopping board
20x30cm traybake tin
Rolling pin
Different size cutters/cups/bottle lid
Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 180C (fan).
2. In the large mixing bowl, rub together the flour, icing sugar and butter with your fingertips until a crumb consistency is achieved. Add 5 tbsp of water and bring the mix together with your hand to form a pastry dough.
3. Tip the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, break off about a quarter and set to one side (this will be the top of the tart) and roll the remainder into a rectangle large enough to line the baking tin.
4. Roll the pastry back onto the rolling pin to pick it up, then drape over the tin, and tuck into the corners and up the sides. Trim any excess (add this to the reserved quarter of dough) and place the lined tin in the freezer.
5. Chop the rhubarb into 2cm diagonal pieces and put into the (cleaned) large mixing bowl. Add the 200g caster sugar, orange zest and cornflour and toss the rhubarb so it’s all coated.
6. Spread the coated rhubarb into the pastry-lined tin, and fold in the pastry around the edge to create a crust.
7. Roll out the reserved quarter of dough and cut out some different sized circles using cutters/a tumbler/a bottle lid then randomly place them on top of the rhubarb so there are still some gaps where you can see the fruit.
8. Brush the pastry with egg wash, sprinkle with caster sugar and bake for 30-35 minutes until the rhubarb is soft and the pastry is golden.
9. Leave to cool slightly before serving with cream, custard or ice cream.
Recipe from the Easy Peasy Baking Campaign, launched by UK Flour Millers, making baking simple. You can find more recipes and information on the campaign on the FAB Flour website, fabflour.co.uk
