The Bikie Wars

Our uber-labour-intensive project on Australia's bikie wars. Lotsa cool graphics. Even did the music for this one! www.smh.com.au/bikies

Something to herald spring ... and to close winter

Springtime. Star jasmine is scenting the night air through open windows and cars are already filling up the beach suburbs on weekends.

Here are a couple of meals perfect for the change of season: a sprightly, green soup to awaken the tastebuds and cheer in spring, and a slow-cooked veal ragu to serve over pasta, for a final taste of winter. And to eat alongside an episode of The Sopranos.

I dreamt up this soup in April after a long North American winter of starch, processed food and wizened root vegetables. On a day when the muddy snow had finally melted away and new buds were unfurling on bare branches, I spied some baby zucchini in the produce market. Tucked up in rows like newborns: tender little mites no longer than my fingers.

Never before had the arrival of spring seemed as exhilarating! I turned them into a lively green soup of fresh new vegies with a burst of lemon – new life in a bowl. The end result is a light broth made creamy from the addition of fresh ricotta cheese: rich and sweet and utterly delectable. Once you try it you'll never go back to the pre-packaged kind.

Any young, fresh spring greens will do; apart from the ones used here you could also try asparagus, sorrel, pea shoots and nettles. Leeks aside, the vegies should be barely cooked, retaining a bit of crunch.

It's also an incredibly quick dinner, especially if you use peas straight out of the freezer. I find it satisfying enough for a main meal, especially if you serve it with slices of sourdough to add ballast.

What about something for those rainy nights when spring loses its flimsy hold on September? How about the slow-cooked veal ragu I mentioned last week but cruelly didn't provide a recipe for.