Welcome to March. After a long winter, produce is brighter and greener, and it’s a welcome sight. It’s a great time to get out into the wild and try foraging, but, if you are going to do so, make sure you know your stuff.
Be sure to get permission from the landowner and, if you’re new to foraging, take someone with you who knows what you can and cannot take. Better still, why not sign up to a hands-on foraging course? Nettles and wild garlic are some of the easiest to identify, but, as with any wild food, if you’re not sure, leave it. Visit our foraging beginner’s guide for more advice.
For more inspiration, visit our March recipe collection and March seasonal calendar page.
If you want to expand your spring cooking repertoire, explore our spring recipes for inspiration, including spring cocktails, spring baking, vegetarian spring dishes, and budget-friendly spring meals.
March seasonal food
Purple sprouting broccoli
Purple sprouting broccoli has a short season, so grab it while you can. Look for broccoli with fresh, crisp leaves and deep purple florets – though be aware the colour will fade during cooking. Try our purple sprouting broccoli with almonds for a simple yet satisfying dish. Boil the broccoli and drizzle over olive oil, then top with toasted flaked almonds – it’s a great side to any roast. Alternatively, roast the broccoli alongside butternut squash and garlic for a comforting miso & butternut squash ramen – the broccoli provides texture and a touch of green.
See our purple sprouting broccoli recipes for more inspiration.
Forced chicory
Also referred to as endive, chicory is a forced crop that’s cultivated in absolute darkness, which creates its unique white leaves tinged with yellow tips. It has a characteristic cigar-like shape and averages around 12cm in length, and has crisp leaves with a subtly bitter flavour profile. While chicory remains accessible throughout the year, it thrives in Britain from January to mid-March.
Sliced chicory leaves bring complex bitterness to dressed salads, like our blue cheese & grape salad with caramelised pecans, and to our chicory collins, a special pre-dinner cocktail. Or, for a weekend lunch, make quick-cook polenta and serve as the base for this chicory, sausage & black olive polenta tart.
Find more unique ideas with our chicory recipes.
Hamburg parsley
If you can find or grow it, hamburg parsley is worth seeking out. It’s a sweet, dense root vegetable that’s similar to a parsnip, with delicate, buttery flavour – almost verging into sweet potato territory.
Hamburg parsley orecchiette
Peel 1 large or 2 small hamburg parsley roots and chop into small chunks, then cook in a pan of boiling salted water for 10 mins. Drain, then fry in 15g butter and 1 tsp olive oil in a large non-stick pan until golden. Meanwhile, cook 150g orecchiette following pack instructions, then drain. Add the cooked pasta to the hamburg parsley, toss to combine and season with plenty of black pepper and a little salt. Spread 4 tbsp crème fraîche over two plates and create a large well in the centre of each using a spoon. Dot over 1 preserved lemon, chopped, and top with the pasta mixture. Garnish with few parsley leaves, 1 tsp lumpfish roe and ½ tsp poppy seeds. Serves 2.
Spring onions
Spring onion is such a versatile ingredient, particularly at this time of year, when the herb garden isn’t quite in full swing yet. Slice the white and green parts separately and scatter the finely sliced green tops over the finished dish in place of herbs. They can also be served whole, as in our spring onions & teriyaki tofu. Try our chilli corn & spring onion quesadilla for a twist on a classic Mexican-inspired snack made with fiery chillies, sweetcorn and a squeeze of lime.
See more inspiration with our spring onion recipes.
Nettles
Use foraged wild nettles in these creative ideas. Similar to spinach in taste, nettles are a versatile addition to soups, pesto and pie fillings, and can even be used as a flavourful toast topping. For a springtime spin, substitute nettles for spinach in our nettle spanakopita. With their sweet and nutritious profile, young nettles provide a delightful and cost-free alternative to spinach. Alternatively, simmer nettle leaves in stock with onions, carrots, leeks and potatoes, then blend with butter and cream to make nettle soup, which can be frozen and enjoyed later.
For more ideas, don’t miss our nettle recipes.
Spring greens
Cut out any tough central stems of your spring greens using a small, sharp knife or kitchen scissors, then use these offcuts in stocks or in place of celery in sofrito (a base for soups and stews). Our spring greens with lemon dressing bring much-needed freshness to any comforting dinner. Or, enjoy them in a twist on traditional carbonara by making our spring greens carbonara. Sweet peas and asparagus balance the saltiness of the pancetta and richness of the egg yolks.
Find extra ideas with our spring greens recipes.
Wild garlic
Also known as ramsons, wild garlic comes into season in late March-early April, and is one of the best additions to flavoured butter or pesto. For wild garlic pesto, simply blitz wild garlic with olive oil, then stir in finely grated parmesan. Make our healthy baked new potatoes with wilted wild garlic for a twist on ordinary roasties, or try garlic butter, which is a delicious spread for picnic flatbreads.
For more ideas, see our wild garlic recipes.
Discover more ingredients in season in March
Seasonal food dates in March:
1 March: St David’s Day
Celebrate St David’s Day on 1 March with our Welsh-inspired recipes, from classic Welsh cakes and bara brith, to modern twists on the traditional, like rarebit muffins.
15 March: Mother’s Day
Whether you’re treating Mum to breakfast in bed, baking a cake or preparing a three-course dinner, we’ve got all the Mothering Sunday recipes you need.
20 March : Eid-al Fitr
Discover the traditions of Eid al-Fitr and celebrate the end of fasting with a feast using our Ramadan recipes.
17 March: St Patrick’s Day
Celebrate St Patrick’s Day with some of our favourite Irish recipes, including soda bread, Guinness chocolate puddings and Irish stew.
Other food dates for your diary:
2-8 March: British Pie Week
The first week of March is British Pie Week, a tradition that has been going on for 15 years. Enjoy your favourite sweet and savoury pies.
Enjoyed these recipes? See more inspiration:
The best recipe boxes, tried and tested
How to use wild garlic
The health benefits of broccoli
What to do with root vegetables
How to steam vegetables
Which vegetables will you be using this March? Leave a comment below.
