Spiced lamb and mint burgers

Ingredients

Serves 10 children

½ red onion chopped

1 clove garlic crushed

a small bunch of mint (chopped)

400g minced lamb

½ teaspoon sweet paprika

½ teaspoon ground cumin

1 egg

pinch of white pepper

vegetable oil

Method

Heat oven to 200°C (Gas mark 6, 400°F).

Gently sauté the onion and garlic in a little vegetable oil until softened but not browned, then remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly.

In a large bowl, combine the lamb, mint, spices and cooled onion followed by the lightly beaten egg. Mix thoroughly and shape into ten burgers.

Place on a baking tray lined with non-stick baking parchment and bake for 20 minutes or until browned and cooked through.

Accompaniments

Here are some of our favourite accompaniments:

• Potatoes with chive butter and crushed, minty peas.
• Wholemeal bun with lettuce and sliced tomatoes and oven-roasted sweet potato chips.
• Wholemeal pitta filled with diced cucumber, tomatoes and coriander and a spoonful of herby garlic yoghurt.
• Tabbouleh (see below).

Tabbouleh

To make tabbouleh, you need: ? 50g bulghar wheat ? 50g flat-leaf parsley, chopped ? 50g mint, chopped ? 200g ripe tomatoes, deseeded and diced ? 3 spring onions, finely sliced ? juice of 1 lemon ? 3 tablespoons olive oil

Rinse the wheat in a sieve until the water runs clear, then drain well and tip into a bowl. Pour over 200ml boiling water and leave to soak for 30 minutes, sealed with clingfilm or a large plate.

Meanwhile, chop the parsley and mint, including the more tender stalks (keep the tougher stalks for the stockpot). Combine the herbs with the diced tomato and spring onion in a large bowl, drain the wheat and add it to the herb mix, then stir in the lemon juice and olive oil.

Menu planning: in season

In season at the moment are: rhubarb, spring onions, radishes, spring cauliflowers, spring cabbages, Jerusalem artichokes, leeks, overwintered lettuce, asparagus, kale and sprouting broccoli.