Rhubarb compote

"On our walks with the dog, we see and smell alexanders, which dominate the beach paths. Some people make fritters from the flowering heads and soups with the leaves, but I don’t love the flavour – I’m always much more interested in the wild garlic that starts to make itself known in the woodlands at this time of year, picking a bag to use in the kitchen as soon as it’s ready.

"In the garden, too, things are changing. My daffodil bulbs are pushing through, flashing their blousy, canary-yellow trumpets. And what a rewarding sight – now I’m glad that crouching in the cold earth to plant them while I was heavily pregnant wasn’t a completely nonsensical move. It’s too easy to let these subtle seasonal shifts escape our notice, so I take some meditative moments at the kitchen door to soak it in. There’s comfort in observing everything on the cusp of springing into new life for another year.

"March also means the last chance to cook with forced rhubarb. Its vivid pink, nutrient-packed trunks sprout in muggy, dark sheds by candlelight in Yorkshire’s Rhubarb Triangle. My oven-roasted compote (below) is the perfect way to make use of a haul of the hot pink stuff without having to craft an elaborate dessert. Plus the cardamom adds a gorgeously fragrant note. I’ve added maple syrup as a nod to the forests of Quebec, where maple trees are currently thawing from their wintry slumber so the sap can be tapped and processed into syrup for another year. The two pair beautifully, particularly when spooned over pancakes.

"While we’re on the subject of rhubarb, rhubarb G&Ts are a lovely way to toast the start of the season. Make your own by infusing sugar-tossed rhubarb in gin. Or use Slingsby Yorkshire Rhubarb Gin, which is made with forced rhubarb from the Rhubarb Triangle."