🌿 Open Wings Kitchen Table
A Simple Spring Table: tried and loved recipes I chose for you
A Simple Spring Table
Spring always feels like a quiet invitation back into the kitchen. After the heavier foods of winter, the first bright vegetables begin to appear again — asparagus, herbs, fresh greens — and meals naturally become lighter and simpler.
Several years ago I made a conscious decision to move towards a healthier way of eating and living. Nothing extreme, simply a quiet choice to choose fresher ingredients, more natural foods, and meals that leave the body feeling nourished rather than heavy. That gentle shift has shaped the way I cook and the recipes I enjoy sharing.
As a vegetarian, the menu I most enjoy at this time of year centres around vegetables and fresh flavours. For readers who prefer a meat option, I have included a simple alternative that sits comfortably alongside the same spring table.
These are dishes I return to often, and I hope you may enjoy them too.
🌱 Starter
🧀 Whipped Goat’s Cheese with Honey & Fresh Herbs
A soft bowl of whipped goat’s cheese is one of the simplest starters and always feels welcoming at the table. Served with warm bread, it is creamy, fragrant with herbs, and lightly sweetened with honey.
✧ Ingredients
• 200 g goat’s cheese (7 oz / about ¾ cup)
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp honey
• 1–2 tbsp finely chopped herbs (chives, parsley, or thyme)
• freshly ground black pepper
• sourdough or crusty bread for serving
✧ Method
1️⃣ Place the goat’s cheese in a bowl.
2️⃣ Add the olive oil and whisk gently until smooth and creamy.
3️⃣ Stir in the honey and herbs.
4️⃣ Season with freshly ground black pepper.
5️⃣ Serve with slices of warm bread.
✧ Options
🌿 Ricotta or cream cheese may replace goat’s cheese for a milder flavour.
🌿 A few crushed walnuts or toasted seeds can be sprinkled on top.
⚠ Allergy Notes
Contains dairy and gluten (if served with bread).
Gluten-free crackers or vegetable sticks work well as alternatives.
🌿 Main Course (Vegetarian)
🥧 Spring Asparagus & Lemon Tart
Golden puff pastry topped with asparagus and lemon ricotta captures the fresh flavour of spring. It looks beautiful on the table and is surprisingly simple to prepare.
✧ Ingredients
• 1 sheet puff pastry (320 g / 11 oz)
• 200 g ricotta cheese (¾–1 cup)
• zest of 1 lemon 🍋
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 30 g grated parmesan (¼ cup)
• 1 bunch asparagus (250 g / 9 oz)
• salt and freshly ground pepper
✧ Method
1️⃣ Preheat the oven to 200°C / 400°F.
2️⃣ Place the puff pastry on a baking tray lined with parchment paper.
3️⃣ Lightly score a border around the edge of the pastry.
4️⃣ Mix the ricotta with lemon zest, olive oil, salt and pepper.
5️⃣ Spread the mixture inside the border.
6️⃣ Arrange asparagus across the top.
7️⃣ Sprinkle with parmesan.
8️⃣ Bake for 20–25 minutes until the pastry is golden and crisp.
Serve warm with a simple green salad.
✧ Options
🌱 Cottage cheese or mascarpone can replace ricotta.
🌱 Add a handful of peas or baby spinach for extra spring vegetables.
⚠ Allergy Notes
Contains gluten and dairy.
🍗 Alternative Main
🍋 Lemon & Herb Roast Chicken
For readers who prefer a meat option, a simple roast chicken may be an option for you.
✧ Ingredients
• 1 whole chicken (1.5 kg / 3–3½ lb)
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 lemon, halved 🍋
• 2–3 sprigs thyme or rosemary
• salt and freshly ground pepper
✧ Method
1️⃣ Preheat oven to 200°C / 400°F.
2️⃣ Rub the chicken with olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper.
3️⃣ Place the lemon halves and herbs inside the cavity.
4️⃣ Roast for 1 hour – 1 hour 20 minutes, until golden and cooked through.
Serve with roasted vegetables or alongside the asparagus tart.
⚠ Allergy Notes
Naturally gluten-free and dairy-free.
🍓 Dessert
🍰 Lemon & Raspberry Spring Cake
A soft lemon cake dotted with raspberries feels bright and cheerful for spring and brings the meal to a gentle close.
✧ Ingredients
• 200 g butter (¾ cup / 7 oz)
• 200 g sugar (1 cup)
• 3 eggs 🥚
• 200 g flour (1½ cups)
• 1 tsp baking powder
• zest of 1 lemon 🍋
• 100 g raspberries (¾ cup)
✧ Method
1️⃣ Preheat oven to 180°C / 350°F.
2️⃣ Cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.
3️⃣ Add eggs one at a time.
4️⃣ Stir in flour, baking powder and lemon zest.
5️⃣ Fold in raspberries gently.
6️⃣ Bake for 35–40 minutes until golden.
Allow to cool before dusting lightly with icing sugar.
✧ Options
🍓 Blueberries or strawberries can replace raspberries.
⚠ Allergy Notes
Contains gluten, eggs, and dairy.
🌿 A Gentle Spring Table
Meals like these are rarely about perfect recipes. They are about gathering simple ingredients and allowing them to shine in their natural season.
🌿 Herbs scattered across the table
🥧 A tart fresh from the oven
🍰 A cake cooling quietly on the counter
These are simply a few of the dishes I return to each spring. I hope they bring the same quiet pleasure to your table as they have to mine.
May your kitchen be filled with good ingredients, warm conversation, and the simple happiness that comes from cooking something nourishing for those around you.
Happy cooking from the Kitchen Table at Open Wings.
© Copyright March 2026
Open Wings