Menu of the month: May 2011

Asparagus under wraps 
The asparagus in this dish is steamed lightly then wrapped with cheese and Parma ham and baked till the cheese is melted. Italian Fontina, if you can get it, has the right squidgy consistency, but the recipe also works well with the sharp flavour of Parmesan. 

Salmon steaks with avocado and crème fraiche sauce 
If you want to serve something really special for a summer dinner party that leaves you utterly free from any hassle, this cold salmon dish fits the bill perfectly. Although this recipe serves six, you can in fact line up salmon steaks in any number you like – 12 or even 24 – which makes it ideal for buffet parties and celebrations. In winter, this recipe works equally well served with Parsley Sauce. 

Lemon millefeuille 
This wispy, light, lemony cake (or is it a pudding?) is perfect for spring and simplicity itself to make. The millefeuille – literally 'thousand leaves' in French – refers to the flaky pastry layers, which need to be really crisp and not too thick to provide the proper contrast of textures with the creamy filling. My husband, since his school days, has always referred to this dessert, rather unromantically and for reasons he can't explain, as a flat harry – but I really don't think that this description does any justice to its ethereal quality and exquisite flavour.