| Well there's absolutely no doubting that Spring is with us. What a joy to watch the daylight lengthen, to see the local hedgerows speckled with bursts of primroses, and to inhale the pungent wild garlic carpeting the woodland floor. In these strange, unsettled times nature is the very best distraction.
Here at River Cottage we battle through the hungry gap with relish. At our recent 20 Years, 20 Dishes event the 20 recipes created by our chefs were true celebrations of the season's best ingredients. We cooked our own mutton loin 'dirty' in the embers of the wood fire and served it with charred kale shoots. One of my old favourites, nettle and celeriac soup, was on this occasion topped with a poached oyster and a douse of wild garlic oil. And good old PSB came with sea beets, anchovy dressing and a stunning burnt leek aioli. I also brought along some of my home-smoked Chew Lake trout which we served with our own yoghurt, wild chives and sorrel and crispy English lentils.
Combinations like these will be on our menu at RCHQ as we feast over the Easter bank holiday weekend. Please come and join us if you can! And wherever you are I wish you a happy month ahead. Let's toast Easter with a rhubarb Bellini in hand.
 | | | ANITA RANI
JOINS THE LINE UP FOR THE RIVER COTTAGE FESTIVAL | | Delighted to confirm that BBC Countryfile presenter Anita Rani -  @itsanitarani - will be joining us at the Festival this August. Anita and Hugh have been working together on a new series about plastics for BBC 1. She will be on stage in conversation with Hugh discussing upcoming projects. To see the full line up for the Festival click here.
GET TICKETS | |  | FOOD FAIR - MASTERCLASSES The full selection of the hugely popular masterclasses are now on sale. There are 16 different classes, ranging from Cocktails to Curing & Smoking. They are selling fast though, so book now to avoid missing out. BOOK NOW |  | 20 YEARS, 20 DISHES - NEW DATE As Hugh mentioned, March saw this special 20th birthday event. It was a fantastic day enjoyed by all, click here to see a selection of photos from the day. We are hosting another in June, which will follow a similar format but with a few seasonal updates. BOOK NOW | | | RIVER COTTAGE OUTDOOR COOKERY HANDBOOK
BY GILL MELLER | | We're very excited that the latest and 17th instalment in the River Cottage Handbook series will be published on 2 May. The River Cottage Outdoor Cookery Handbook by Gill Meller includes all you need to become a talented outdoor cook and features a selection of brilliant recipes, one of which you can try below. PREORDER NOW
Gill is hosting a very special dining event on Friday 17 May to celebrate the launch of the book,
Join him to hear more about his outdoor cookery adventures and feast on a variety of amazing wood-fired dishes. GET TICKETS
| |  | SPRING & SUMMER EVENTS The arrival of British Summer Time signals it's time to look ahead to the warmer and longer days. Make the most of this time of year and plan a trip to River Cottage. Our summer courses and dining events get booked up quickly, so act now to ensure you'll make it this summer. DISCOVER WHAT'S ON |  | WELLNESS RETREAT - JUNE & SEPTEMBER Join us this summer for our new four-day wellness retreat designed to encourage a more holistic approach to life. It will be led by a team of expert contributors and will also include 2 days in the Cookery School, where you'll learn from Naomi Devlin how to cook and eat in tune with your body. FIND OUT MORE | | | NEW SPRING MENU
AT RIVER COTTAGE KITCHENS | | The menu at our River Cottage Kitchen's changes regularly to make the most of the seasonal produce available. All three restaurants are now serving our new spring menu, so head down soon to try some of the tasty new dishes available now.
BOOK A TABLE | | |
GARDENING TIPS
THINGS TO DO THIS MONTH BY HEAD GARDENER HELEN
| | Here are Helen's top five things to do in the garden this month: - Continue sowing seeds under-cover. April is a month for filling up the greenhouse with seedlings - peas, cabbage, broccoli, leeks, beetroot, lettuce, courgettes, squash and pumpkins - all ready to be sown in April.
- Pick rhubarb!
- Plant out sweetpeas.
- Weed! If you keep on top of the weeds now you will benefit later in the season.
- Enjoy the early colour of the autumn-sown bulbs, the calm before the business of spring in the garden, and the lighter evenings!
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RECIPE:
CHARRED ASPARAGUS WITH SHEEPS CHEESE
& LEMON THYME BY GILL MELLER
Asparagus is one of the first vegetables of the year that really makes me want to head outdoors, light a fire and get cooking, and because it has a relatively short season I like to make the most of it when it's here. I think barbecuing is one of the best ways to cook this lovely slender veg: it takes on some smoky, charred notes that are wonderfully enhanced by the addition of sheep's cheese, olive oil and lemon thyme.
| | | Serves 2 as a starter - 12–16 asparagus spears
- A small bunch of lemon thyme (or ordinary thyme)
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 100g hard sheep's cheese for grating, such as Berkswell or Pecorino
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
| | | Prepare your fire. Once the flames die back and the embers are glowing very hot you'll be ready to cook.
Set a grill over the fire; it's at the right temperature when you can hover your hand above the grill for a maximum of 2 seconds. Snap the woody ends from the asparagus. Place the spears on a tray or in a large bowl. Strip the leaves from the thyme and scatter them over the asparagus, along with plenty of salt and pepper and the olive oil. Toss to coat.
Cook the asparagus on the grill for 3–4 minutes, turning occasionally. You want to encourage some charring and blistering. Transfer to a warm plate and grate over the cheese. Serve with air-dried ham or salami, if you like.
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