Easy, laid-back, seasonal Easter feast

The menu

• Starters & nibbles

  Mackerel on toast with salted cucumber and horseradish

• Main course

  Roast shoulder of lamb with herbs and honey

• Light meals & snacks

  Pea, salted yoghurt and mint salad

• Cakes and baking

  Lavender cream meringues

Menu ingredients

Serves 4

• Fruit and vegetables

  • ½ cucumber, peeled, thinly sliced on a mandoline

  • 4 tbsp grated fresh horseradish

  • 1 small red onion, thinly sliced

  • ½ small lemon

  • ½ bunch fresh thyme, leaves only

  • 4 sprigs fresh rosemary, leaves only

  • 12 fresh sage leaves, roughly chopped

  • 1 lemon, juice only

  • 1 long red chilli, seeds removed, finely chopped

  • 1 garlic clove, peeled, finely chopped

  • ½ lemon, juice only

  • small handful fresh mint leaves, torn

• Tins, packets and jars

  • 2 tsp English mustard powder

  • 1-2 drops of red food colouring, mixed with 1-2 drops of blue food colouring (optional)

• Cooking ingredients

  • salt

  • salt and freshly ground black pepper

  • 1 tbsp dried oregano

  • salt and freshly ground black pepper

  • 1 tbsp good Greek or wild flower clear honey

  • 2 tbsp olive oil

  • ½ tbsp extra virgin olive oil

  • sea salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper

  • 100g/3½oz caster sugar

  • ½ tbsp icing sugar

• Dairy, eggs and chilled

  • 2 heaped tablespoon crème fraîche

  • knob of butter

  • 100g/3½oz firm, salted, strained yoghurt or fresh soft goats' cheese

  • 2 large free-range egg whites

  • 150ml/5fl oz double cream

• Meat, fish and poultry

  • 4 fresh mackerel fillets

  • 1.4kg/3lb shoulder of lamb, trimmed

• Other

  • 4 slices soda bread, toasted, buttered

  • handful dried camomile (or contents of 4 camomile teabags)

  • 125ml/4fl oz water

  • 200g/7oz peas, out of their pods

  • 3-4 fresh unsprayed lavender stems, flowers only

By Valentine Warner