British spears!

It’s one of my favourite times of the year – the brief but eagerly awaited season for our fine, pert British asparagus. It’s a "blink and you’ll miss it occasion" so I intend to make the best of it.

I know that D could rarely agree with me but a well-made quiche can be a thing of beauty. And this tremendous Cuxwold ham & asparagus quiche from those fine people at M&S is a perfect example. The filling is not as densely eggy as some lesser quiches can be, but laced with crème fraîche and cream. The ham is succulent and full-flavoured and the asparagus a perfect foil. But the crowning glory is the pasty, M&S haven’t skimped on this, it is crisp and buttery and crumbles seductively when you knife a small mouthful.

But the asparagus in the quiche was hardly going to satisfy my new season asparagus craving, so a bundle of these verdant beauties was duly added, steamed and anointed in a little butter with a few shaving of Grana Padano showered on top.

To finish this ever so seasonal and frankly delicious feast, a couple of steamed then sautéed potatoes drizzled with a little punchy basil pesto.

Thanks to this stunner of a quiche, the fabulous pesto-y potatoes and these gorgeous British spears I can cornily claim that "Oops I did it again"!