Now the really hot weather has arrived, asparagus is growing so rapidly there is plenty available to add to salads and any other savoury dishes you are cooking. Try asparagus as the main vegetable with roast lamb, or add it to a stir fry at the last moment. This warm salad has a slightly oriental flavour as it calls for thinly sliced fresh ginger, loads of thin sliced garlic and coriander.

YOU WILL NEED One bunch of fresh asparagus One bunch of spring onions One fresh lime An inch of cucumber Two large cloves of garlic Fresh ginger the size of a walnut Olive oil Salt and freshly-ground black peppercorns to season.

Method: Trim the woody ends off the asparagus, slice the garlic cloves thin, peel the outer skin from ginger and slice thin. Cut the cucumber into matchstick shapes, remove half the skin of the lime with a very sharp knife and cut it into matchstick shapes. Remove roots and greenery from spring onions, but leave whole.

Half fill a frying pan with salted water over a high heat, place the asparagus into the pan when the water boils, lower the heat slightly and cook for about five minutes or until it is almost cooked — should take no more than five minutes.

When almost cooked remove from the pan and drain on kitchen paper.

Wash the pan, place back on high heat, having added enough olive oil to cover the bottom.

Add the spring onions, garlic slices, ginger slices, and strips of cucumber and lime peel, lower the heat, place a lid on the pan and allow to cook gently, stirring now and again, until the spring onions begin to soften and the garlic is giving out a mouth-watering aroma.

Remove the lid, add the asparagus and a little chopped coriander if you have any, season with a little salt and freshly-ground black peppercorn and stir all together.

Cut the lime in half and squeeze the juice into the pan, stir once more and remove from the heat.

Serve along with the juices in the pan as a warm starter, or a salad to complement a main dish.