Ratatouille Gratin with Green Herb Crust

Leek and potato soup is a spring classic and really shines with new-season leeks. This soup takes the classic recipe a step further in a celebration of spring alliums by adding charred spring onions and garlic scapes, the immature flowering part of the garlic plant. Unlike the garlic bulb, scapes impart a gentler, fresher garlic flavour. Garlic—two for one Hardneck varieties of garlic, such as Russian Red, develop a flowering stock called a scape, which extends from the plant in a green coil. Growing your own garlic will give you two crops—a crop of bulbs in late July and, prior to that, in late May or early June, tender garlic scapes. Harvesting garlic scapes, before they flower, not only provides a delicious crop you can use in myriad ways but also essentially helps the plant divert its energy to producing the garlic bulbs—the part we use most often. Scapes are ready to harvest when they curl downward and begin to coil.

In April, we’re coming to the end of the season for Belgian endives, but if you haven’t already indulged, it’s a great time to take advantage of this bounty. Braising is a delicious way to cook this slightly bitter leaf, also called witloof or chicory. In this dish, its slight bitterness is perfectly complemented by the sweet braising liquid of orange, honey, and mustard before being given a dash of licorice flavour with a sprinkling of tarragon. Freshly squeezed You’ll need two oranges to get the amount of orange juice and zest required for this recipe. Wash oranges well before zesting.

Artichokes can be somewhat intimidating. But once you’ve made your way past its spiky exterior and removed the thistlelike choke, there lies a tender heart with a sweet flavour. The meaty bases of artichoke leaves are also edible and make perfect dipping vehicles to scoop up sauce or, in this case, a stuffing with just a touch of Spanish serrano ham and Marcona almonds. Artichokes take a bit of care to prepare—and to eat—but they present a wonderful opportunity to slow down and savour flavourful ingredients. Don’t be afraid to use your hands! How to clean an artichoke Fill a bowl large enough to accommodate artichokes with water. Cut a lemon in half, squeeze the juice into water, and drop lemon halves into water. Cut a second lemon in half and set it aside. You’ll use this to brush the artichoke as you trim it to prevent the blackening that occurs as the artichoke is exposed to oxygen. You can also rub your hands with lemon, which will stop your hands from blackening. Wash and dry your artichoke. Remove tough leaves around the base of the stem by pulling them away from the body of the artichoke, rubbing artichoke with lemon as you do so. With serrated knife, cut through artichoke crosswise, about 1 in (2.5 cm) from the top. Rub exposed part with lemon. With kitchen shears, remove spiky tips of remaining outer leaves. Use peeler to remove small leaves near the stem and the tough outer layer of the stem. Rub peeled stem with lemon. Using serrated knife once more, cut through artichoke lengthwise, severing the bulb and stem. Again, rub all exposed parts with lemon. Use small paring knife to cut around the spiky, hairlike choke and then use spoon to scoop it out. Rinse artichoke quickly under water and then place in bowl of lemon water while you prepare the remaining artichoke.

Eggs and asparagus are so quintessentially spring and nothing could be easier to prepare than this simple yet elegant dish that works as well for breakfast as for a light lunch. The earthy flavours of asparagus are complemented by a light dressing of licorice-scented tarragon and a little dash of heat. To make this dish more filling, choose a hearty whole grain bread as the base of your sandwich. One with a blend of ancient grains including spelt or khorasan wheat (Kamut) is particularly nice. Springtime presents a wonderful opportunity to experiment with a host of different microgreens. Spicy radish microgreens or bright, young pea shoots work equally well in this dish. Dry your eggs Ensure you won’t add any extra moisture to the dish by carefully drying eggs before placing on your plates. Using slotted spoon, remove eggs from water, allowing the bulk of the water to drain over the saucepan. Lay slotted spoon on a kitchen towel and gently roll the spoon to allow each egg to come to rest on the towel. Pat the top of the egg gently and lift the towel to roll each egg back onto the spoon and place on your dish.