It’s March, spring is in the air, and Caz Richards of Dorset Food & Drink is thinking about mums, chocolate … and leeks.
With a nod to the daffodil-loving William Wordsworth, the delights of a Dorset spring are on their way, with clumps of voluptuous daffodils and pretty primmies adorning the banks, gardens, and hedgerows. As the days get warmer, the scribble of winter trees take on a lush verdant hue as leaves and foliage start to pop into bud. It’s a feast for the eyes, but we’re all about making sure your taste buds are ready for a new crop of seasonal products and ingredients to enjoy!
From spring lamb and purple sprouting broccoli to leeks, beetroot, rhubarb, and tasty spring greens. Oysters, mussels, scallops, lobster and Haddock our producers, farmers, growers, and local fishing fleet won’t let you down.
Buy it fresh
If meat is up your street and you want yours produced sustainably and in harmony with nature, then the Jurassic Coast Farm Shop has some great offers and can deliver to your doorstep. Ditto The Dorset Meat Company who offer a combination of unbeatable grass-fed beef and lamb, outdoor-reared pork, and free-range chicken.
If fish or shellfish is your dish, however, buy direct from your fishmonger. They have the best knowledge and produce and will even tell you where it came from, how it was caught, and which boat landed it! If you’re worried about the preparation, you can always ask your fishmonger to do it for you.
Saints, pies, mothers and chocolate
With quite a few national days popping up in March, there are plenty of ways to use all that seasonal goodness, and with the Easter bunny fast approaching, there are even more sweet treats to look forward to.
Dorset vittles are a must at any time of the year, so if you’re planning to dine out, this little list might help you decide where.
If you celebrate St.David’s Day on the 1st of March try this vegetarian leek, pesto, and squash pie. Sticking with the pie theme, it’s British Pie Week on the 7th -13th March, and we’ve got a few tasty recipe ideas for you. And don’t forget to make Mothers’ day on the 19th of March with these Dorset gift ideas!