There are a few key moments that whisper full-on spring is here. One is the arrival of British asparagus in the shops – joy; another is stepping into a woodland full of bluebells and shafts of sunlight, the air quiet and still apart from the sound of bird song and maybe the snuffling of a scruffy dog among the flowers. All the better if you can round up friends to come with you, leaving things simmering in the oven while you walk. Lottie Covell’s French onion soup, laced with sherry and topped with bubbling cheesy crusts, is the best type of slow-cook dish… The smell that welcomes you home as you step through the door will make everyone weak at the knees. Find the recipe (and other slow-simmer gems) on p54.
Still on the subject of melting cheese, a recent highlight was a trip to Dorset for our toastie cook-off. We gathered two of the country’s best cheesemakers, a chef and a deli owner and put them in a kitchen with their cheese, good bread and a few magic ingredients. Then it was down to the judges to decide who made the best oozy-melty, flavour-packed toastie (my kind of challenge). Find out who won on p43.