May's foods in season and what to cook with them
Here are the foods that are at their best in the month of May and some great recipe ideas.
As the cold months begin to become a memory in May, a glut of green vegetables and soft fruits start to fill the shelves. It's a great month to get into the kitchen. These are some of the best ingredients to cook with this month and what to make with them.
Vegetables
It's time for asparagus to appear. Elsewhere, Jersey royals continue to make their way over, nestling next to fresh maincrops. It’s time to celebrate watercress later in the month, with the annual festival in Alresford in Hampshire taking place on the 20th. Carrots and artichokes are also starting to appear.
When it comes to salads, don't forget beetroot, cucumber, curly lettuce, radishes, spinach and spring onions. The first tomatoes are on their way too, and if you fancy foraging, keep an eye out for wild garlic and wild mushrooms.
Try...
Asparagus egg dippers with smoked salmon
Radish, purple sprouting broccoli, asparagus and pea salad
Scandinavian-style beetroot and potato salad
Yuki Sugiura./My Kind of Food/Headline
Meat
Spring lamb will be on the shelves this month, while chicken and pork lend themselves well to light, spring dishes. If you're firing up the barbecue, give steak a go.
Try...
Lemony chicken and spinach curry
Heston Blumenthal's pork shoulder sliders
Lamb sausage kebabs with tzatziki
Sausage/DK
Seafood
Mackerel, cod and haddock are on the menu. And crab is still nipping at our tastebuds. Fish-wise, early barbecue options include salmon, sea bass, tuna and sea trout.
Barbecued garlic pepper prawns
Grilled tuna steaks a la niçoise
Davidstow
Fruit
Wimbledon may still be a month away but there are plenty of British strawberries now on sale. May is also a good time for rhubarb and you might spot the first blackcurrants of the season.
Blackcurrant and rosemary cheesecake
Alison Clarkson
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