My head is full of recipes.  As usual these ideas are jostling for space and waiting for me to choose them for a mornings experimentation and testing in the kitchen.  It is such fun and something I love to do.  The last few weeks however have been crazily full of other stuff and so a new recipe hasn’t made it to pole position ready for its launch from me to you.   So I thought I’d let you know which of my recipes I will be cooking this Easter weekend in case it helps you with any last minute decision making.

I’ve always followed tradition with a meat (and fish) free Good Friday so for supper this evening we will have my Onion Tart but without the anchovies on top.   A big green salad will be just the ticket with this and I had made some brownies for pudding but they appear to have disappeared…

For Saturday lunch we will have Paella (January 2013) – one of my brothers is a vegetarian so I’ll make a great big veggie version with peppers and leeks.  For the carnivorous amongst us I will serve a separate pan of sizzling chorizo and juicy pink prawns.  Pudding will be Crunchy Apple Puddings (January 2015) which I can make in the morning leaving me cool and calm (!) with just a salad to rustle up to serve alongside the paella.

Easter lunch just wouldn’t be right without our paschal lamb and I won’t deviate too far from the traditional course.  Our leg of lamb will be served pink with my favourite, fabulous fresh herb sauce (July 2013) to which I will add a bunch of mint, the perfect accompaniment.   Spring greens and glazed carrots seem a good idea alongside the essential roast potatoes.  My daughter and I are still in dispute about pudding.  A chocolate pavlova is fairly high on the agenda but I’m not sure it won’t be toppled by a rhubarb version which will bring some freshness and zip to an otherwise chocolate laden day.

The Lemon Curd layer cake (May 2013) will be our Easter teatime treat as fruit cakes aren’t particularly welcome chez May and although I adore Simnel cake, my daughter’s nut allergy precludes marzipan from our table.   No loss though as this light and airy, zesty lemon confection is perfect for early Spring and seems eminently suitable for the Easter table.  Should anyone not have space for a slice of cake I’m sure they will fit in a small biscuit and I’m hoping to persuade my children to make these Ginger Biscuits (February 2015) which are beyond simple and beyond delicious.

Whatever you are doing and whatever you are eating, I wish you a very Happy Easter.