Make-ahead Mother's Day menu

The menu

• Light meals & snacks

  Butternut squash soup with parsley purée

• Main course

  Salmon with green butter

• Side dishes

  Potato salad

• Desserts

  Rhubarb fool with lemongrass

Menu ingredients

Serves 4

• Fruit and vegetables

  • 1.8kg/4lb wedges of butternut squash

  • 6 cloves garlic, 4 whole, unpeeled and 2 finely chopped

  • 2 sprigs of thyme

  • 2 onions, finely chopped

  • 2 carrots, finely sliced

  • 2 sticks celery, finely sliced

  • 1 tbsp freshly chopped sage

  • 1 bunch flatleaf parsley, roughly chopped

  • 1 clove garlic, crushed

  • Lemon juice, to taste

  • small handful fresh parsley

  • small handful fresh chives

  • large handful fresh sorrel leaves (if you can't get sorrel you can use extra parsley and chives or tarragon or basil and add a squeeze or two of lemon juice)

  • lemon wedges

  • a few sprigs of parsley and lengths of chive

  • 1 tbsp tarragon or cider vinegar

  • 900g/2lb new potatoes, such as Jersey Royals or Charlotte, washed or scrubbed

  • 1 tbsp chopped fresh tarragon leaves

  • 1 large shallot, finely chopped

  • 2 tbsp chopped cornichons or gherkins (optional)

  • 700g/1½lb rhubarb

  • 2 lemongrass stalks very finely chopped to almost a powder

  • 1 lemon, juice only

• Tins, packets and jars

  • 2 tsp Dijon mustard

• Cooking ingredients

  • 3 tbsp olive oil

  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper

  • 2 litres/3½ pints hot vegetable stock

  • 100ml/3½fl oz extra virgin olive oil

  • a drizzle of olive oil

  • salt and freshly ground black pepper

  • 2 tbsp walnut pieces (optional)

  • 2 tbsp olive oil

  • 2 tbsp walnut oil

  • 1 tsp honey

  • flaked sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

  • 140g/5oz unrefined organic sugar

  • 110g/4oz icing sugar

• Biscuits, snacks and sweets

  • 4 tbsp white chocolate, grated or peeled into shavings

• Drinks

  • 1 small glass sweet wine, optional

• Dairy, eggs and chilled

  • 30g/1oz parmesan, finely grated

  • 225g/7oz unsalted butter, softened

  • 150ml/¼ pint crème fraîche (preferably organic) or 1 small carton

  • 150ml/¼ pint mascarpone cream

• Meat, fish and poultry

  • 4 portions salmon fillet, skin-on, about 170g/6oz each

• Other

  • 100ml/3½fl oz water