When I think of asparagus, I immediately think of Hollandaise sauce too. So if I am having boiled asparagus, then I will definitely be making some easy hollandaise sauce and some toast to mop it all up.

These bright green little spears are so delicious just cooked really simply in a little salted boiling water. A meal fit for a king, ready in 10 minutes flat.

Another way I love to eat asparagus is to dip it into softly boiled eggs, talk about divine soldiers! Or if you fancy making a lovely savoury tart, try an asparagus and spring onion tart . . . this would be lovely for a lunch or dinner party too.

The only preparation asparagus needs before it is cooked (and it is not usually eaten raw) is to remove the woody end at the bottom of the stalk. This is done by just snapping off the bottom three or four centimetres . . . if you break it off with your hands, just the dry and woody end will come away, which you discard. You can then, if you like, peel the bottom end of the spear.

Asparagus on toast with easy hollandaise sauce Serves 4 for a main course or eight for a starter This is the ultimate way to enjoy asparagus, in my opinion.

32 spears of fresh green asparagus Four-eight slices of good white bread Soft butter to butter the toast Hollandaise sauce:

Two egg yolks 110g butter, cut into cubes One-two tsp lemon juice First make the hollandaise sauce. Place the egg yolks in a pyrex bowl. Heat the butter until foaming and then pour gradually onto the egg yolks, whisking all the time. Add the lemon juice to taste, and place in a heatproof measuring jug or something similar. Wash the saucepan and half fill with hot water from the kettle.

Place the jug of hollandaise into the saucepan of water . . .

this will keep the sauce warm. When the water cools down, just put it on the heat to warm up, but do not let the water in which the jug is sitting boil for too long, otherwise the sauce will scramble.

Keep the sauce warm while you are waiting to serve it; it will sit quite happily like this for up to a couple of hours.

Place some water and a good pinch of salt in a saucepan (to come up halfway) and bring to the boil. While it is heating up, remove the woody ends from the asparagus spears.

Cook the asparagus by dropping it into the boiling water, cover and bring back up to the boil, then remove the lid and boil, uncovered, for another three-four minutes, until it is just cooked. While the asparagus is cooking, toast the bread. Remove the asparagus and place on a warm plate, or on pieces of buttered toast. Drizzle with hollandaise sauce, and serve some more sauce in a bowl on the table.

Asparagus and spring onion tart Serves 6-8 Shortcrust pastry This makes enough pastry to line 1 x 25cm tart tin. I always make it in the food processor, but if you don't have one, you can make it by hand.

200g plain flour 100g butter, diced and softened Pinch of salt One egg, beaten In the food processor, place the flour, butter and a pinch of salt. Whizz up for a few seconds, then add half the beaten egg and continue whizzing. You might to add a little more egg, but don't add too much, it should just come together. (If making this by hand, rub the butter into the flour and the pinch of salt, then with your hands bring it together with the egg). With your hands, flatten out the ball of dough till it is about three cm thick. Wrap or cover, and place in the fridge for at least half an hour (it will keep well for a couple of days in the fridge, or of course it will freeze). If I am in a hurry, I sometimes put this in the freezer for slightly less time.

To roll: Take out of the fridge. Preheat your oven to 1800C, gas mark 4, and place the pastry between two sheets (bigger than your tart tin) of clingfilm.

Using a rolling pin, roll it out until no thicker than 1/4cm, and preferably even thinner. Make sure to keep it round if the tin is round, and large enough to line the base and sides of the tin.

Removing just the top layer of clingfilm, place the pastry upside down (clingfilm-side facing up) in the clean tart tin. Press the pastry into the edges, clingfilm still attached, and using your thumb, 'cut' the pastry on the edge of the tin. At this stage, it should look quite neat.

Remove the clingfilm and pop the pastry in the freezer for at least 10 minutes (it would keep for weeks like this in the freezer).

To bake blind: Bake blind by lining the pastry with greaseproof/parchment paper when cold (leaving plenty to come up the sides), fill with baking beans, or dried pulses (you can use these over and over), and bake for 15-20 minutes, until the pastry feels dry to the touch.

Remove the paper and beans, brush with a little left-over beaten egg and return to the oven for two minutes. Take out of the oven and set the pastry aside in the tin while you prepare the filling. This can be easily made a day in advance, and covered until you need it.

The reason for baking the pastry blind is to prevent the tart getting a soggy base . . . so when making a tart with a 'custard' filling (as in eggs and milk or cream) it is necessary.

Handy hint: If the pastry is completely frozen going into the oven, you can cook the pastry without the paper and beans. But if the pastry is not frozen, and/or too wet (ie with too much egg) it will fall down the sides of the tin while it is cooking.

Filling:

One tbsp olive oil 200g spring onions, finely sliced or chopped 200g trimmed asparagus spears Four eggs 350ml cream 25g finely grated parmesan cheese Preheat the oven to 1800C, gas mark 4. Heat the olive oil in a small saucepan, add the spring onions and cook over a low heat until soft.

Cook the asparagus by dropping it into boiling water with a pinch of salt, cover and bring back up to the boil, then remove the lid and boil, uncovered, for another three-four minutes, until it is just cooked. Drain, and then slice the asparagus into lengths three cm long, at an angle.

In a bowl, whisk the eggs, add the cream and the cooked spring onions and season with salt and pepper.

Pour this filling into the cooked pastry shell, still in the tin. Drop the asparagus into the tart, sprinkle the grated parmesan cheese over the top and carefully place the tart into the preheated oven.

Cook for about 20-30 minutes, or until the tart is just set in the centre.

Remove from the oven and serve out of the tin, hot or at room temperature.

Asparagus soldiers with softly boiled eggs Serves 2 Two eggs Six asparagus stalks/spears, trimmed Bring two saucepans of water to the boil, one for the eggs, and one for the asparagus. Boil the eggs in the shell for four minutes.

While the eggs are cooking, cook the asparagus by dropping it into boiling water with a pinch of salt, cover and bring back up to the boil, then remove the lid and boil, uncovered, for another three-four minutes, until just cooked. Drain the eggs and the asparagus. To eat, break open the 'lid' of your egg, and dip the asparagus spears into the runny yolk.

Handy hint: When boiling green vegetables, like asparagus, always leave the lid off the saucepan once the water has come back up to the boil, and boil vigorously, but do not over cook. This will prevent your vegetables losing their vibrant green colour.

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