Spring is here and with it the promise of new beginnings and a fresh start. Finally, we can start awakening to warmer temperatures, enjoy the most beautiful sunrises, and gentle evening breezes as well as some of the freshest, seasonal ingredients.
If winter was all about warming foods that comfortingly guided your well-gloved hands through the cold, then spring is about stripping to lighter clothes and strappy sandals that show off freshly manicured toes. Longer, balmier days spent with loved ones, revelling in nature, and fuelling yourself with energy and zest ready for the approaching summer.
This is the season for feeling good, looking good and eating good. Grace Stevens, award-winning TV chef, confectionery connoisseur, and professional baker – shares her tips and tricks, as well a selection of her much-loved recipes to help celebrate the new season in all its fabulous glory. Guaranteed to put a spring in more than just your step.
Grace’s top 3 ways to lace your meals with spring
1. Smell the scent of spring
Aromas play a central role in our perception of food. This is the first spring after a few years where we are finally mask free and able to inhale the fresh fragrance of spring. I absolutely love to see how my garden comes to life at this time, with all the spring bulbs that I planted in Autumn beginning to blossom and bloom.
Don’t be afraid to bring these outside smells and flavours indoors, into your homes and into your kitchen. This is the ideal time to experiment with fragranced baking, incorporating a combination of zesty, citrus flavours in your batters. Not only does it create an intoxicating aroma, but it is also an unexpected flavour explosion in the mouth.
2. Foster a fondness for fresh fruits
Fruity flavours always pop in springtime, and I love how light and fresh they are on the palate. Although I have always associated lemon verbena with spring, as well as dainty freesias and juicy raspberries, I am very much inspired by the new spring produce on the shop shelves which gives me so many ideas for new dishes.
Including fruits into your meals doesn’t have to be a scientific trial and error either. Simple things like adding a handful of fresh blueberries to a vanilla cake or muffin batter or tossing some raspberries into a fresh salad can do wonders for elevating a dish.
3. Add vibrancy to the look and taste
Spring is such a beautiful season in that it slowly but happily prepares you for the hot summer days ahead. I really like the brightness of a spring day; it is such a contrast to the dull and dreary winter and definitely inspires me to use lighter, but brighter hues in my dishes.
I like to start cooking earlier in the morning when it’s warmer and sunnier, and I seem to be far more productive. I also draw inspiration from everything and anything around me – from the burst of colour on my nails to the pretty patterns on my summer dress.
In the kitchen, I love nothing more than to dust a salad with some fresh micro greens, splash a generous squeeze of lemon to a tart, or shell some springtime garden peas on the side of a plate to really help savour that spring sentiment for a little longer.
Grace’s top 3 spring-time recipes
Baked cheesecake with roasted raspberry coulis
A baked cheesecake is the ultimate crowd pleaser and a real classic. The roasted raspberry coulis takes it up a notch, adding indulgence and a much-needed tang that cuts through the rich body of the cheesecake. I like to make an extra batch of the coulis and keep it in the fridge, to swirl into yogurt or pour over ice cream.
Caramelised onion and rosemary focaccia
If you’re not quite ready to let go of the cold winter, then this rustic focaccia is the one for you. Bake a huge batch and enjoy it in the cooler evening with a fresh salad on the side. The sweet, stickiness of the caramelised onion pairs so well with the lemony flavours of rosemary.
Vanilla sponge with Jasmine buttercream
Nothing can beat a simple but delicious vanilla sponge. To add a tinge of sweet and floral springtime aroma, I turn to jasmine. The trick here is to steep the beautiful flowers in a simple sugar syrup and let it simmer for about thirty minutes. Strain and let cool slightly before combining into the buttercream and you have a sumptuous end to a springtime meal.
For more delectable recipes, online tutorials, shop, and live classes visit www.gracestevens.co.za or follow her on Grace_stevenschef or Facebook grace_stevenschef
