Suddenly everything looks so lush in the markets. Boxes of perky green peas and vivid young spinach, tight spring cabbages and tender broad beans. Every meal I seem to eat at the moment is bright green. This month's recipes are a celebration of all that is bright and beautiful.

Braised spring vegetables

Serves 4, as salad

young, tender artichokes - 12

garlic - 2 small cloves, peeled and halved

peas - 500g, in their pods

asparagus - 12 fat spears

olive oil

mint leaves - a large handful

lemon juice

First, prepare the artichokes. For this recipe the artichokes de finitely need to be very small and young. Trim the stalks and remove any tough outer leaves (even the smallest artichokes tend to have some), then snip off any spiky tops. Very young ones will not need their inner choke removing. Cut them in half and rub the cut sides with a little lemon juice to stop them discolouring.

Put three tablespoons of olive oil into a pan large enough to hold the vegetables, then add the garlic cloves. Let the garlic scent the oil over a low heat, then add the artichokes and enough water to just cover them. Cover with a lid. Simmer for about 20 minutes until the artichokes are tender (test one, and cook a little longer if necessary).

While the artichokes are cooking, shell the peas and trim the asparagus. Add the peas and asparagus to the artichokes, with a little salt. Simmer for 10 minutes until tender, then add the mint leaves, stir and leave to cool.

Serve with some of their cooking juices, more olive oil, a little lemon juice and maybe some toasted ciabatta.

Grilled chorizo with almonds, sherry vinegar and spring cabbage

Serves 4 as a main course

a medium-sized spring cabbage

8 chorizo sausages, about 80g-90g each

skinned almonds - 75g

for the dressing:

sherry vinegar - 1 tbs

olive oil - 3 tbs

Clean the cabbage, breaking off the leaves and discarding any that are not in good condition. Cut the chorizo sausages in half lengthways.

Toast the almonds in a non-stick pan until they are golden. Salt them lightly. Heat a shallow pan of boiling water for the cabbage. Put the sausages on the grill (or in a hot griddle pan), cut-side down, and cook till they are lightly crisp.

Plunge the cabbage into the boiling, lightly salted water. Leave for a couple of minutes till tender and jewel-bright in colour. Mix the sherry vinegar and olive oil, season lightly with salt and black pepper. Drain the cabbage and toss in the dressing.

Divide the dressed cabbage between four plates, then add the grilled chorizo and almonds.

Goat's cheese, pea and lentil salad

Serves 4

small green lentils such as Puy - 120g

shelled peas - 150g a small bunch of parsley

olive oil - 1 tbs plus a little extra

goat's cheese - 16 slices

Rinse the lentils in a sieve under running water then tip them into a pan of boiling, lightly salte water. Leave them at an enthusiastic simmer for 15-20 minutes until they are tender, then drain, tip into a bowl and stir a little olive oil through them.

Boil the peas in lightly salted water until bright and tender, then drain under cold running water and mix with the lentils. Pull the parsley leaves from their stalks but keep them whole, and fold them gently into th lentils with the olive oil and a little salt and pepper.

Divide the goat's cheese and pea and lentil salad between four plates.

Green chicken and coconut soup

Serves 2 as a main-course soup

garlic - 2 cloves

hot green chillies - 2

mint - a small bunch

coriander - a small bunch

basil - a small bunch

a lime

large chicken breasts - 2

ground nut oil - a little

coconut cream

stock (chicken or vegetable) - 600ml

Thai fish sauce - 2 tbs

Peel the garlic, halve, seed and roughly chop the chillies. Remove the stems from the herbs.

Warm the grill or a cast-iron griddle pan. Rub the chicken breasts with a little oil (groundnut or light olive oil), season with salt and grill on both sides until thoroughly cooked. You can test for doneness by cutting into one of the breasts. Set them aside to rest.

Meanwhile, blitz the garlic, chillies and herbs in a food processor. You can add a little water if they stick. Finely grate the lime and add to the spice paste, reserving the juice.

Put half the paste into a medium-sized saucepan with a tablespoon of oil and fry for a minute or two, stirring to stop it sticking. Pour in the coconut cream, stock and the fish sauce. Bring to the boil, then stir until the fish sauce has dissolved. Simmer for five minutes. Stir in the remaining paste, the reserved lime juice and check for seasoning.

Slice the chicken into thick strips and divide between two warm soup bowls. Pour in the stock, scattering over a few fresh herb leaves.

Salmon with pea purée and pancetta

Serves 4

for the peas:

shelled peas - 400g (frozen will do)

olive oil - at least 100ml

for the fish:

4 slices of salmon fillet, about 150g per person

a little olive oil

thin slices of pancetta or thin, unsmoked bacon - 12

salt and pepper to season

Set the oven at 200C/gas 6. Put a large pan of water on to boil for the peas. Salt it lightly, then when it is boiling, tip in the peas and cook until tender.

Rub the salmon slices lightly with olive oil, then season with pepper and a little salt. Warm a little of the oil in a non-stick frying pan, then place the salmon dlesh-side down in the pan and let it cook for a minute or two until very lightly coloured. Turn over and cook the other side. Remove the fish and set aside for a minute or so to cool.

Wrap three of the pancetta slices around each piece of salmon. Place them in a shallow baking dish, then bake them for 7-10 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fish. When the flakes of fish have turned lightly opaque, they are cooked.

Meanwhile, blitz the peas in a food processor until smooth, then mix in enough olive oil (about 75ml-100ml or so) to make a sloppy purée. Check the seasoning.

Divide the pea purée equally between four plates, then top each portion with a piece of salmon.