Make-ahead Mother's Day menu

The menu

• Light meals & snacks

  Make-and-freeze butternut squash and lime soup

• Main course

  Baked salmon with parmesan and parsley crust

• Side dishes

  Potato salad

• Desserts

  Easy no-cook cheesecake

Menu ingredients

Serves 6

• Fruit and vegetables

  • 200g/7oz onion, finely sliced

  • 900g/2lb butternut squash, peeled, seeds removed and cut into 1cm/½in cubes

  • 1 lime, juice only

  • small clove garlic, crushed

  • ½ lemon, grated rind only

  • 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley, plus extra to garnish

  • 1 tbsp tarragon or cider vinegar

  • 900g/2lb new potatoes, such as Jersey Royals or Charlotte, washed or scrubbed

  • 1 tbsp chopped fresh tarragon leaves

  • 1 large shallot, finely chopped

  • 2 tbsp chopped cornichons or gherkins (optional)

• Tins, packets and jars

  • 2 tsp Dijon mustard

• Cooking ingredients

  • 2 tbsp olive oil

  • salt and freshly ground black pepper

  • 2 vegetable stock cubes

  • salt and freshly ground black pepper

  • 25g/1oz fresh white breadcrumbs

  • paprika

  • 2 tbsp walnut pieces (optional)

  • 2 tbsp olive oil

  • 2 tbsp walnut oil

  • 1 tsp honey

  • flaked sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

  • 200g/7oz icing sugar, sifted

  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

• Biscuits, snacks and sweets

  • 200g/7oz digestive biscuits

• Dairy, eggs and chilled

  • 50g/1¾oz butter

  • 750ml/1¼ pint milk

  • 150g/6oz cream cheese

  • 25g/1oz fresh, coarsely grated parmesan

  • 75g/2½ oz unsalted butter

  • 400g/14oz full-fat cream cheese, at room temperature

  • 300g/10½ oz mascarpone, at room temperature

• Meat, fish and poultry

  • 6 x 150g/5oz salmon fillets, skinned

• Other

  • 100g/3½oz malted milk balls (optional)