Finally, finally warm spring weather has arrived. It's come later this year and in fact at the beginning of the season, in March, snow brought the country to a standstill - and prevented me and my friend from getting to Wembley to see the Stereophonics which we were most upset about, but that'a a whole other story. After the late start spring seemed to appear overnight with trees and flowers blossoming, grass looking greener and lusher thanks to the April showers, and birds singing merrily - take a look at the video I took of the dawn chorus on my Instagram page. The sun is now shining gloriously and it's so wonderfully warm you could be forgiven for thinking we've skipped spring and moved straight into summertime.

Lemons were the first thing that came to my mind when I thought of this series. They are one of my favourite ingredients, adding refreshing, bright, zesty flavour to such a wide range of dishes, both sweet and savoury. I love their fresh smell and sharp taste and most often use them just as they are, squeezed over lightly poached salmon fillets, rice dishes or salads. They will always very simply and easily liven up a dish.