Fresh start: Hetty Lui McKinnon’s recipes to celebrate spring

2026-03-25 - 12:09

Vegetables take centre stage in this relaxed menu of cheesy asparagus loaf, mushroomy filo tart with a chilli crisp crust, punchy feta salad, and a no-bake strawberry matchamisu Vegetables are in my blood. I grew up surrounded by them; boxes upon boxes scattered around my childhood home, a perk from my father’s job as a wholesale purveyor (of bananas, specifically) at Sydney’s Flemington Markets (now known as Sydney Markets). Our family enjoyed an embarrassment of nature’s riches; an endless supply of succulent Asian greens, rotund cauliflowers, glossy aubergine, perky spring onions, and bulging cabbages that overflowed from crates in and around the kitchen and dining room. We needed to step over trays of stone fruit and cartons of oranges to get to the bathroom. In the summer, I gorged on apricots and cherries until I was sick (true story) – I had no self-control when it came to the fresh stuff. This overindulgence ended abruptly when my father died when I was 15. The endless parade of fresh vegetables and fruits ceased but my deep connection with vegetables lives on. Today, chopping a head of broccoli, peeling a carrot or charring a wedge of cabbage makes me feel closer to my dad. It is a daily ritual that keeps his memory alive. The sense of feeling alive is never more present than during the transition from winter. Spring, or chūn as it’s called in Cantonese, is actually the first season of the Chinese Lunar Year and somehow, that feels fitting for how we should approach eating during this time of year. As the brisk air thaws and the skies lift, the feeling of renewal and new beginnings punctuates my approach to cooking and feeding others. Bright acidity, twists on classic dishes, and pantry staples used in unexpected ways. Spring is the time to be bold, take risks in the kitchen and reawaken your tastebuds. Continue reading...