British & Irish Food

Spring is well and truly in the air which means the food festival season is also upon us. I used to spend a great deal of my time working at food festivals, mainly because I love them, but time restraints and a heavy work load means these days I have to choose a little more carefully and really have the time to work at one. So I chose my favourite which just happens to be this weekend (19th and 20th May). The Malton Food Lovers Festival in Malton, North Yorkshire is set to be one of the best this year with activities in and around the Market Place including a great Beer and Wine Festival. The events are for too numerous to mention here so you may want to check out their website for details.

Central to the festival are the cookery theatres which this year have a staggering line up of chefs appearing on stage including the region's best (check out the illustrious list here) and a few national celebrities including godfather of Italian Cuisine and star of the BBC series Two Greedy Italians Antonio Carluccio, Yorkshire's favourite Grande Dame Rosemary Shrager and food writers Tom Parker Bowles and Matthew Fort.

Each year the Malton Food Lovers Festival grows and new events are added, last year it was the Welcome to Yorkshire Taste Trail, this year it is the Masterclass Marquee. This marquee will house a series of masterclass talks and tastings on food and cooking and interviews of festival patrons and by festival president Selina Scott.

If you know of any upcoming festivals, do let me know. I may not be able to attend but it will be great to let everyone know about them.

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Photo © Malton CIC</sub>

This week's Meat Free Monday Recipe supports the buying, cooking and eating of British produce and this week focuses on British Onions. These easy to make pies make a great lunch, or the star of a main course, also, they are perfect for a lunch box - enjoy.

• Cheese and Onion Puff Pie Recipe

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Photo © British Onions</sub>

Finally, there is some sunshine and news is the first British Strawberries are in the shops. Surely time for a celebration, and what better way than with a delicious strawberry and fresh cream sponge cake. Summer on a plate.

• Strawberry and Cream Sponge Cake Recipe
• Tips for Making a Feather Light Sponge

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Photo © Getty Images</sub>

They are cheap, they are nutritious and better still are delicious.

• Recipes Using Pulses

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Photo © Getty Images</sub>

What a cracking combination with this Asparagus, Warm Potato Pancakes, Bacon and Hollandaise recipe from British Asparagus, a medley of tastes and textures with the centre piece of great new season British asparagus.

As the season for asparagus marches ahead it could be overwhelming to have so much of the delicious vegetable, however its versatility is its saviour. There very little you can't do with the fat spears and here are just a few of my favourite asparagus recipes. Do you have one? I wold love to add it to the collection so let me know. You can submit your recipe by filling in this form, and if you have a picture, that's even better.

I look forward to reading them.

• Do You have a Favourite Asparagus Recipe?
• My Favourite Asparagus Recipes

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Photo and Recipe © British Asparagus</sub>

It doesn't come much better than this week's Meat Free Monday RecipeBritish radishes have just come into season and are at their best right now. Forget using them simply sliced on your salad, they are much more versatile.

• Indian Spiced Radish and Pumpkin

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Photo © Love Radishes</sub>

Huge swathes of Great Britain are currently slapped with drought orders, yet, equally many areas are under-water thanks to excessive rain and flooding. Apparently, this is the wrong rain to help alleviate the drought conditions but the right rain to wash out this weekend's Asparagus Festival.

The Asparagus Festival is one of the highlights of the brief, delectable Asparagus season. Organisers said that the flooding that followed heavy rain and cool temperatures in April had left the seasonal vegetable " almost completely dormant . " What a shame for the organisers, growers and the thousands of disappointed visitors.

As the Bank Holiday is forecast to be a mixture of rain, snow, and gale force winds may as well hunker down and cook. If you can get your hands on some asparagus here are a few of my favourite recipes to enjoy at home.

• Favourite Asparagus Recipes

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Photo © British Asparagus</sub>

The days in May are longer and warmer as spring bursts into full-flight. The shops and markets start to fill with wonderful fresh produce and for the keen cook, it is a very exciting time. Enjoy the bright, shiny, new season foods as they fill your kitchen with spring sunshine. Here are foods in season in May with recipes to inspire you. enjoy.

Food in Season - May

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Photo © istock</sub>

A dish with a most charming name, It is the Scottish version of Bubble and Squeak it is a great recipe for left over mashed potatoes with a few other veg thrown in.

Rumbledethumps Recipe

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Photo © RFB Photography</sub>

The waistline will not allow fish and chips again, so more gentle but just as tasty is a fish pie. A great way to eat fish and you can also throw in a few prawns or whatever takes your fancy to ring the changes.

• Fish Pie Recipe

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Photo © RFB Photography</sub>