Easter Feast (Food Writing)

The time of fluffy bunnies and chocolate eggs is approaching and the thought of preparing a delicious Easter meal is daunting. What is Easter all about in the world of food? And what would be the perfect way of complementing all of the wonderful seasonal, spring produce?

A traditional Easter feast is typically Greek, using ingredients such as cheeses, salted pork, lamb sweetmeats and sweetbreads, vegetables and salads, cookies, cakes, wine and Easter bread, with a main of meat (lamb or goat) roasted over a charcoal fire.
There would also be eggs dyed red to represent the blood of Christ and new life.

Obviously times have changed, and not all these ingredients or meals appeal to everybody. But if you want to incorporate some of the traditional Greek Easter into your cooking to really treat your guests with a delicious meal, there’s an easy way to accomplish it.

For an Easter meal for 10 guests (including 4 children), all you are looking to spend is around £50 (about £5 a head).

The seasonal produce of this time of year is a lot of green vegetables (broccoli, green beans, sprouts, runner beans, cabbage, spinach, cauliflower) and root vegetables. Fruits include, strawberries, kiwis, raspberries, blueberries, apples, plums, nectarines and rhubarb.
Typical ‘spring’ meats are lamb, pork, turkey and chicken.
All of this wonderful produce can be found at it’s best in Waitrose.
Alternatively, fresh fruits and vegetables can be bought in season from any local farm shop, and are usually naturally larger in size, organic and better value for money.

To start the meal with a modern take on the traditional theme, Red Pesto and Tomato tarts topped with Goats cheese is a brilliant way of infusing the salad and cheese aspects of the traditional Greek starter. This red starter also symbolises the blood of Christ in a much easier and more appetising way.
And for children, a starter of Poached egg with grated Cheddar cheese is another way of including the Greek tradition in your starter.

With the traditional Greek Easter main being the biggest spectacle, there’s no scrimping on the twenty-first century lunch.
A way of incorporating the traditional meat of lamb or goat is to cook two Legs of Rosemary infused Lamb, with Sweet potato mash, Seasonal vegetables and a Redcurrant jus. This would be a main course to really ‘wow’ your guests, and is an absolutely delicious, classic, hearty, meal most adults and children can enjoy together.

The Greeks weren’t one for puddings, but a modern day English, Easter meal wouldn’t be the same without one.
A mouth-watering way to use seasonal fruits would be to make a Strawberry and Rhubarb Pie. A simple, sweet recipe then topped with single cream, would refresh and enlighten taste buds, completing a truly festive Easter banquet.

To compliment all the beautiful cooking, your feast would be nothing without a pretty, decorated table.
A way to incorporate traditional British Easter into your decoration would be to visit your local craft shop and pick up lots of dyed, colourful feathers, glue, pens and sequins. This is also a great way of getting children involved in the meaning of Easter and the celebrations.
Hard boil some eggs, and leave them to cool for a couple of hours. Once cooled they can be decorated using the feathers, pens and sequins, adding your own touch to the decoration. They could also be decorated with your guest’s names written upon them, turning them into a place card-esque decoration.
Scattering the loose feathers around the table would also add a creative effect to your table.