Vegetarian lunch special: three simple dishes, light on effort and heavy on flavour

Lunch in springtime is always such a pleasure to prepare and eat. I’ve always loved spring, for the ingredients it brings, but also for the bright change in the days. The leaves slowly growing back on the trees, the flowers blooming, and the lengthening stretch in the evening.

Spring is fresh-cut grass, early morning light and a glimpse of the glorious summer months.

My favourite thing about spring is being able to spend more time with family and friends outdoors, enjoying a simple celebratory lunch or having a bouncy castle Communion party in the garden.

My family keep it simple during gatherings, as young children can be hard to cater for in groups. Simple but tasty always works.

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Hummus is always a great lunchtime sharing snack, and can be served with crisps, tortillas, breads or crackers. This roasted aubergine one has fantastic flavour, with the preserved lemon elevating it above what you can buy in the shop.

The trick to preserved lemons is to store them in the fridge in an airtight jar for at least a month before using them. They give dishes a sweet, salty citric kick. If you want to make this dish immediately, you can buy jars of preserved lemons in good delis.

The pittas with falafel are great for groups as they can be served hot or cold, and of course are vegetarian. Falafel is one of those things that I find is always better made fresh than shop bought. I’ve never tried them in an air fryer, but imagine that they would work as well as frying in oil.

Lemon posset is one of the easiest desserts to make, and the lemon and rhubarb are so vibrant. The maceration method for the rhubarb will work on most fruits and berries. The posset can also be set in a lunch box-style container and scooped out with a large spoon.

Recipe: Roasted aubergine and chickpea hummus, feta and preserved lemon

Recipe: Falafel pitta sandwiches, tzatziki and pickled cucumbers

Recipe: Lemon posset, macerated rhubarb and shortbread