Red, white and green dominate this Easter menu. Liz Ayling combines some bold and fresh flavours and colours to celebrate the holiday and welcome official summer time.

Red is for strawberries, white is for all the hours of daylight we’re getting now, and green is for the spring lushness around us. This Easter lunch menu is a colourful combination of seasonal produce at its very best; three courses that, whether eaten in one sitting or served individually, pack in superb flavours, with more than a nod to our herb gardens.

It is also a tongue-in-cheek, fun interpretation of Easter fare for a very different high day and holiday feast. Gone are almonds that make an appearance in simnel cakes and our traditional, Sicilian-influenced desserts. We welcome instead a half kilo of irresistible, juicy strawberries, now conveniently at glut proportions as Easter falls.

Lamb is our choice of cut this time of year, so we’re not breaking with Easter tradition here... or are we? Baked coated in a spring jacket of pistachio and rocket pesto, it seems straight from the pasture to the table, greenery included. Gone too is the need to accompany a main course with oodles of roast vegetables. With Easter at the cusp of summer, spring lamb calls out for a lighter touch. And our starter dish of tricolore mini quiches is perfect bite-sized beach snacking, should temperatures rise and lure us away from dining indoors.

The best of this menu is its ease of preparation. Much can be made in advance. This is the time of year to be out and about, not slave to the stove, even if entertaining.

Spring lamb in a pistachio rocket crust

Roasted in a nut and herb crust, the lamb keeps very succulent. It is served here with a three-bean salad (broad, borlotti and butter beans with parsley, and an oil and lemon dressing) and simple bużbież roast potatoes. This dish is a herb-lover’s delight.

Ingredients
Leg of lamb
100g rocket
150g green pistachios, shelled
50g pine nuts
50g grated Parmesan
2 garlic cloves
1 egg yolk mixed with 1 tbsp milk
Plain flour
3 tbsps olive oil
Fresh ground black pepper and sea salt

Method

Preheat oven to 220°C. Cooking time: for a medium-cooked joint, allow an average of 15 minutes for every 500g, plus 15 minutes more. Usually 75-90 minutes is enough for a 1.5-2kg joint.

Peel the garlic, and rinse and spin dry the rocket.

Place the pistachios, garlic, pine nuts, grated Parmesan, rocket and a little seasoning in a food processor and grind to small breadcrumb size. On the slowest setting, drizzle in one or two tablespoons olive oil until you have a thick, semi-dry pesto.

Beat the egg yolk and milk together.

Dust the lamb joint lightly with some seasoned flour, shaking off the excess. Then, using a pastry brush, coat it with the egg mix.

Press the pistachio pesto firmly onto the lamb. Drizzle over a soup spoon of olive oil.

Place in a roasting tin and bake for around 75-90 minutes depending on the size of joint and your preference – rare, medium, or well done. Cover midway through with foil to prevent the crust from browning too much.

When cooked, rest for 10 minutes covered with foil. Carve and serve with light spring vegetables of choice.

Strawberry balsamic mint cheesecake

Mint gives a lively and complementary pop to the heady sweetness of the balsamic strawberries, turning this three-cheese, baked dessert into a surprising showstopper.

Ingredients

Base:
300g plain digestive biscuits
180g unsalted butter

Filling:
220g soft cream cheese
250g ricotta
250g thick, plain Greek yoghurt
2 tbsps cornflour
2 eggs, beaten
200ml single cream
1 tsp quality vanilla essence

Cream topping:
250g mascarpone (or ricotta for a lighter option)
3-4 tbsps single cream

Balsamic strawberry compote
450g fresh strawberries
1 tbsp caster sugar
2 tsps balsamic vinegar
2 tbsps water
Sprig of mint, chopped (and more to garnish)
Icing sugar to dust

Method

Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease and line a 22-24cm spring-form tin.

Base: turn digestive biscuits into very fine crumbs in a food processor, or place them in a strong plastic bag and crush them with a rolling pin.

Melt the butter gently and stir in the crushed biscuits coating them thoroughly.

Press the biscuit mix into the base of the tin and bake for about 10 minutes until just turning golden and slightly firmed up. Remove from oven and cool. Turn up the oven to 200°C.

Filling: using electric beaters, whisk together all the cheeses, cornflour, vanilla essence and the yoghurt. Then add the cream and beaten eggs a little at a time until the mix is well combined, smooth and thick. Set aside.

Strawberry compote: rinse the strawberries, then quarter them lengthways and place in a saucepan with the balsamic vinegar, caster sugar and water. Heat to a simmer and cook until the sugar is dissolved and the strawberries are slightly tender but retain their form. Remove the strawberries with a slotted spoon to cool, then add some chopped mint to the liquid in the saucepan and simmer until reduced to a syrup. Set aside to cool.

Place three large spoonfuls of the cheesecake filling into a blender, add two tablespoons of the cooked strawberries and blend till smooth. Return the mix to the rest of the cheesecake filling and combine well. This adds flavour to the filling, which is now a pastel pink colour.

Pour the cheesecake filling onto the cooled base and bake for around 40-45 minutes, covered with foil, until firm around the edges. The centre should be stable, but slightly wobbly; it firms on cooling and may go down a little if it’s risen. Remove from the oven and cool completely. For a firmer cheesecake, chill in the fridge for a minimum of three hours.

Remove the cheesecake from its tin and place on a serving plate or cake stand. To top, whisk the marscarpone, adding a few tablespoons of single cream to loosen and make it spreadable. Cover the cheesecake with the topping, roughly.

Arrange the strawberry compote on top and then pour over the balsamic-mint syrup, letting some dribble down the cake. Garnish with more mint and fresh strawberries if desired. Dust with icing sugar. The cheesecake keeps well for around two to three days chilled, covered, in the fridge. Note: the base and filling (without topping) can be made ahead and frozen.

Tricolore tartelettes

Roasting the cherry tomatoes first and keeping them whole in the quiches gives you a little packet of full flavour mid-bite. Polenta in the pastry gives a firm, crisp texture.

Ingredients
2 large eggs, beaten
180ml single cream
200ml milk
200g feta cheese, cubed and a little crumbled
Cherry tomatoes – around 25 to 30
2 tbsps extra virgin olive oil
Balsamic vinegar
A good handful of fresh basil
Freshly ground black pepper
Sea salt
A grating of Parmesan

For the pastry
140g plain flour
80g polenta
110g unsalted cold butter, cubed
A pinch of salt
2-3 tbsps cold water

Method

Preheat oven to 200°C. Lightly grease with butter eight to 10 mini quiche tins (approx. 8cm in diameter) or one large tin of 22cm.

1. Make the pastry, ideally in a food processor. Pulse the butter and flour. Drizzle in the water slowly, on pulse setting, until the pastry binds. Tip out on a floured surface, knead lightly into a smooth ball, wrap in cling film and chill for 20 minutes.

2. Wash, pat dry and lay out cherry tomatoes on baking paper on a metal baking tray. Drizzle over some olive oil and balsamic vinegar and sprinkle with large crystal sea salt. Roast the tomatoes for 30 minutes, turning once, until they are slightly caramelised. Reduce oven temperature to 180°C.

3. Meanwhile, beat together the eggs, milk, cream and season with fresh ground black pepper. Add some chopped basil to the milk-egg mix. Set aside. Roll out the pastry and line the tart tins.

4. Place three tomatoes and a few cubes of feta into the pastry tart cases. Carefully ladle in the egg mix until it part covers the tomatoes, leaving 3mm at the top of the cases. Crumble over some feta and grate over some Parmesan.

5. Bake for around 20-25 minutes until risen and lightly golden on top. Remove, cool tins on a wire rack for a few minutes, then turn out. Garnish with basil.

Serve hot, warm or cold, with a crisp green salad as a starter.

Liz Ayling runs food blog www.theredbistro.com, with recipes inspired by Malta’s cuisine and fresh produce.