EASTER has passed and there is new-season produce popping up all over the place at the market.

The asparagus and early tomatoes are in full swing and Paget’s will have the first bunched baby carrots of the year too.

Returning to the organic veg aisle after their winter hiatus is Hotch Potch Organic. At this time of year their stall is mostly dedicated to a huge range of vegetable plants for the greenhouse and garden, with the space created by selling them giving them space in the greenhouse to get the later season vegetables on the way.

At this time of year Hotch Potch share a stall with Alderton Nurseries from Tewkesbury who specialise in tunnel-grown early season organic vegetables and regulars will be delighted to hear that there will be a good supply of flat green beans and mini cucumbers with aubergines to come next week.

The courgettes are “messing around” and don’t look good yet and similarly the pencil beans aren’t in full flow yet so there will be restricted volumes of these that will undoubtedly be picked off by the early morning “organic veg locusts”; those faithful regulars who start queuing for their vegetables from about 8.15.

Hotch Potch are also trying to recycle/reuse their horticultural fleece from last year. It’s not strong enough to do a second season’s insect protection, but would do fine for frost protection – so Jim is going to cut it down into plant size squares that gardeners can help themselves to (free) at the stall.

The plants for the garden theme continues around the market with a wide range of flowering plants and shrubs, herbs of all types and other edibles will be available at Ascott Gardens, Herbs for Healing, Pat’s Plants and Malcolm Allison.

We also have: Simon Weaver Organic cheeses, with brie, blue brie, Cotswold mozzarella and single Gloucester; Tubby Tom’s chilli sauces and related products; Big Horn Biltong with their popular range of free range beef air-dried meat snacks; high in protein and low in fat; and Stroud’s own Nifty Nut Butters, to name but a few.