A vodka martini with a defining rhubarb kick and a dash of bitters to top it off

This came about when we were trying to come up with a Valentine’s Day cocktail (a spin on the hanky panky seemed appropriate somehow!) that would also help us use up a glut of rhubarb we had in the kitchen art the time. And it’s still on our drinks list today. We replaced the usual gin with vodka, so as not to overwhelm the predominant rhubarb flavour, and used dry vermouth and homemade rhubarb syrup instead of sweet red vermouth.

Will Weir, general manager, Lulu’s, London SE24

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Contrary to popular belief, there are some wines – and even one or two reds – that you can pair with this superstar spring vegetable

Four weeks or so into the asparagus season, and are you getting bored yet? Not me: at this time of year, I could happily eat the stuff every day, and frequently do, but not always cooked the same way. And how you cook or serve your asparagus will affect which wine you drink with it.

What’s that, you say – you thought wine was supposed to be a no-no with asparagus? Like most of these so-called rules, the difficulties are massively overstated. Do you think the Germans or Austrians, mad asparagus fiends that they are, don’t drink wine with their spargel ? Of course they do. In Alsace, too.

For more by Fiona Beckett, go to fionabeckett.substack.com

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When you’re hankering after something starchy and satisfying, this soupy spring rice delight will definitely please the tastebuds

I don’t know whether I prefer saying risi e bisi or eating this Venetian springtime speciality, which is traditionally made to celebrate the feast of St Mark, the city’s patron saint, on 25 April. That said, this deliciously soupy, starchy dish ticks a lot of boxes for me at this time of year, not least because even I can amuse myself in a terrible Italian accent for only so long.

Prep 15 min
Cook 1 hr
Serves 4

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Celebrate the freshness of a new season with ricotta gnocchi with raw pea pesto, fennel sausage penne and broccoli orecchiette

Prep 20 min
Cook 1 hr 25 min
Serves 4

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A spring soup-stew known as scafata and typical of Lazio, featuring chard, potatoes, artichokes and new-season broad beans

Broad beans are back – long, green fingers with the odd black nail. And so are the warning signs, for those who suffer favism (a rare but acute haemolytic syndrome), as well as for those, such as my neighbour, who think that fave are an abomination. For fans, the first young beans are good raw, with pecorino or cheddar. In Lazio and central Italy, scafa is dialect for a broad bean pod, and scafare the verb for removing the beans from their pods; therefore, scafata is a dish involving podded beans. As you might expect from a dish shared by different regions, scafata has as many variations as cooks that make it, but, broadly speaking, it can be described as somewhere between a brothy stew and a dense soup involving broad beans and other spring vegetables, such as chard, onions, potatoes and artichokes.

The cooking method is what I think of as a steamy braise, which is also a possible chapter title for an as-yet-unwritten detective story. One steamy braise might start with a letter containing a feather and a ring. The other – this one – starts by cooking vegetables in a generous amount of olive oil. Once they are just starting to soften, liquid is added and the pan half covered, allowing the vegetables to soften further in both the liquid and steam, which (having done its job) evaporates, leaving behind a vegetable liquor and an olive oil broth.

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Both sides of the changeable season are covered here: in like a lion with hearty cheese and pickle roast potatoes, out like a lamb with a light gratin with lemon, capers and herbs

Easter is an in-between time of year. I have spent some basking in the garden, while on others, there’s been snow. Spring demands food that is both fresh and hearty. Today’s gratin is loosely based on one from the cookbook Sunday Suppers at Lucques – coins of early season courgettes with a perky salsa verde topped with golden cheesy breadcrumbs. And you can’t go wrong with this spin on roast potatoes with cheese and pickle, served with a crisp bitter leaf salad.

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Spring forward into a light reds – look for grapes such as cinsault, gamay, and pinot noir or bardolino

Although I argued last week that, since Easter was early this year, we should drink as if it was still winter, a week can be as long a time in the wine world as it is in politics. So, all of seven days later, and with the clocks going forward in the UK tonight, I’m now advocating you switch into light red mode.

In fact, those are the sort of reds I like most of the time, but I appreciate that many people regard them as a bit wimpy. Not that winemakers think that way so much these days: overall, wine styles are getting lighter and fresher, and not just from the traditional regions of Beaujolais, Burgundy and the Loire; you’ll also now find lighter reds in Australia, such as the sangiovese in today’s pick below, as well as in South Africa and Chile.

For more by Fiona Beckett, go to fionabeckett.substack.com

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A fresh take on seasonal favourites adds Middle Eastern spice and cleverly accommodates leftover hot cross buns for afters

The daffodils are out, parading their annual magnificence, and I can’t help but be enchanted by the beauty of spring. While I’m not religious, I also can’t help but revel in the festivities of Easter. Eggs, lamb and hot cross buns are all traditional, but these fuss-free recipes give them a new lease of life. Buy in some flatbreads and pickles to serve alongside the meat, so you aren’t stuck in the kitchen for the whole day. After all, there are more important things to do – such as hunting for chocolate eggs!

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A hearty barley and vegetable soup with a cheesy topping and a quick miso- and ginger-coated chicken traybake on a bed of chard

Like any cook, I love it when people enjoy my food, and I get even greater pleasure when it’s also easy for me to make (and with minimal washing-up). I often turn to these one-pot recipes, which empty the pantry and make something comforting – a hearty, vegetable-filled soup and a speedy, miso- and ginger-coated chicken.

Yasmin Fahr is a US food and travel writer and the author of three cookbooks . Keeping it Simple, by Yasmin Fahr, is published by Hardie Grant Books (UK) at £16.99. To order a copy for £15.46, go to guardian.bookshop.com

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