Sometimes I look out the window at the grey sky, horizontal rain, branches flying past from wind swept trees and imagine I’m in Italy.

The sun is shining, the sound of crickets and old men playing bocce fills the air and all is good. Usually the screech of an old magpie that frequent the garden will bring me back to earth with a bump. With no plans to return to Italy in the immediate future I have to console myself with some of lovely ingredients. If you’re lucky there are a few green grocers that have Italian lemons in stock at the moment as it is the season for them. The thrill of seeing these big citrus fruits, knobbly with leaves intact would gladden the coldest heart. While they’re here make the most of them – a taste of sunshine on a cold dreich day.

One way to preserve the lemons is to pack them in salt in a jar. I add a few fennel seeds and dry chilli to the mix as well. Leave them for a month and they’ll be ready to use. I like to add a couple of wedges to roast chicken or pork or finely chop the yellow part of the lemon to add to dressings for fish. It really adds a lovely splash of the Mediterranean to dishes.

While they’re still here lemons and chicken are great together ( and you could use preserved lemons for this when they’re ready). In the recipe here chicken breasts are stuffed with a mixture of soaked sourdough bread, garlic, shallots, parsley, rosemary and the important lemon. Source chicken breasts with skin on and poke the stuffing between the breast and flesh. They’re set on some spuds that have been diced and roasted for 10 minutes. The flavour from the chicken fat and the aromatic stuffing fall into the spuds. Purple sprouting broccoli is in season at the moment and some will add a springtime verdancy to the finished dish. Note there’s no gravy in this dish! A nice blob of mustardy mayonnaise would work well instead.

One way to preserve the lemons is to pack them in salt in a jar. I add a few fennel seeds and dry chilli to the mix as well. Picture: Archive

placeholder image — One way to preserve the lemons is to pack them in salt in a jar. I add a few fennel seeds and dry chilli to the mix as well. Picture: Archive

For something sweet lemon shortcake ticks the box. Butter and sugar is beaten until fluffy and egg yolk, flour, almonds and lemon zest added. The mixture is chilled then half grated into a baking dish, layered with lemon curd and then finished with the rest of the grated shortbread. Bake until golden. You could serve this warm with ice cream or here I’ve allowed it to cool and then topped it with a raspberry and lemon cream.

Two recipes to add brighten up a dull day.