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This inviting Mother's Day dinner includes a sophisticated salad created by Andrea Nicholson, executive chef of Sequel restaurant, a hidden gem in North Toronto (3362 Yonge St., 416-480-0996). She uses white asparagus, but you could substitute green.

The chicken is always a favourite of mine, with its crispy skin, juicy meat and simple but delicious lemon sauce. Fiddleheads, freshly picked from the riverbanks north of Toronto, are available now. WHITE ASPARAGUS SALAD

WITH PEAR VINAIGRETTE

The recipe calls for white balsamic vinegar because it will not change the colour of the white asparagus. If you do not have it, substitute with white wine vinegar and a pinch of sugar. Save any extra vinaigrette for future salads.

Forelle pears are one of the small sweet varieties. If you can't find them, use one Bartlett pear instead. Treviso radicchio is shaped like Belgian endive. It grills well, but you can substitute regular radicchio. Make the salad as much as a day ahead, but don't add dressing until you're ready to serve.

What you need

2 forelle pears, peeled, cored and chopped

1 small shallot, chopped

Salt and freshly ground pepper

Olive oil for drizzling

1/3 cup olive oil

3 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon honey

12 white asparagus

2 tablespoons sugar

2 heads Treviso radicchio

½teaspoon finely chopped garlic

1 small head frisée lettuce

½ cup shaved aged Manchego cheese

What you do

Preheat oven to 375 F. Place pears and shallots in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper and drizzle olive oil over them. Scatter on a baking sheet and bake for 10 to 15 minutes or until pears and shallot caramelize and soften. Remove from baking sheet and chill in the refrigerator.

Place chilled pears and shallots into a mini-food processor or blender. Add ¼ cup olive oil, 1 tablespoon white balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard, honey and salt and pepper to taste and blend until smooth. Strain dressing though a fine sieve to remove any undesired pulp. If pears are not very juicy, you may need to thin dressing with 1 to 2 tablespoons of water. Reserve.

Snap off ends of white asparagus. Bring a pot of water to boil and add sugar and a pinch of salt. Add asparagus and blanch for 2 minutes or until slightly soft but still crunchy. Place in ice-cold water. Once cool, remove immediately and reserve.

Preheat grill or barbecue to high.

Remove any bruised outside leaves of Treviso and slice in half lengthwise. Reserve.

Whisk together garlic, remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, remaining 2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar and salt and pepper to taste. Add Treviso and toss to coat.

Place Treviso on grill for only 2 minutes, just to achieve the charred flavour. If cooked longer, the radicchio will lose its crunch. Place charred Treviso on a tray and chill in the refrigerator.

Place one piece of Treviso on a plate and sit 3 pieces of the white asparagus on top. Drizzle with pear vinaigrette and garnish with a few pieces of frisée lettuce. Top with shaved Manchego cheese and a drizzle of olive oil. Serves 4.

LEMON ROASTED CHICKEN

Serve with fiddleheads and mashed potatoes or orzo.

The roasted garlic and shallots taste delicious with this dish.

What you need

1 2-to-2.5-kilogram (4-to-5 pound) chicken

2 tablespoons softened butter

1 teaspoon grated lemon rind

1 tablespoon lemon juice

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

4 shallots, peeled

2 heads garlic cut in half horizontally

1 tablespoon olive oil

Sauce:

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 teaspoon sugar

1 cup chicken stock

2 tablespoons butter

What you do

Preheat oven to 400 F. Tie chicken legs together. Bend wing tips under to give a better shape. Combine butter, lemon rind and lemon juice. Rub chicken with the butter. Season liberally with salt and less liberally with pepper. Place on rack over roasting pan.

Toss shallots and garlic with olive oil. Place on base of roasting pan, garlic cut side down.

Roast the chicken with the garlic and shallots for 1 hour, 15 to 30 minutes or until juices run clear. Place chicken on carving board. Remove garlic and shallots from pan and reserve. Remove fat from roasting pan, leaving any juice.

Place pan over high heat and add lemon juice and sugar. Bring to boil and boil for 1 minute or until sugar starts to turn brown. Immediately add the stock, scraping up any bits on base of pan and bring to boil. Add in any chicken juices from carving board and boil until reduced by half. Remove from heat and whisk in butter.

Carve chicken into 4 portions, coat with sauce and serve half head of garlic and 1 shallot with each portion. Squeeze out the garlic and eat with chicken. Serves 4.

ROAST FIDDLEHEADS

Not normally a favourite of mine, fiddleheads are a delight cooked this way. We were eating them like French fries.

What you need

350 grams (12 ounces) fiddleheads

2 tablespoons olive oil

Salt and freshly ground pepper

What you do

Preheat oven to 400 F. Wash fiddleheads in several changes of water.

Remove any browned or tough tips. Pat dry as well as you can and toss with olive oil. Lay on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Season with salt and pepper and roast for 20 to 25 minutes or until fiddleheads are browned slightly but still a little juicy. Serves 4.

lwaverman@globeandmail.com