SEASONAL FOODS: MAY / JUNE
Image credit: Taste Botancial
Friday, 10th May 2019
Seasonal Foods: May / June
Asparagus
The points d’amour were a delicacy served up to French icon and Louis XV’s fave mistress, Madame de Pompadour. Historically part of the lily family but now in a class of their own, asparagus are credited with both diuretic and aphrodisiac qualities. Snap off the ends before cooking to save yourself a mouthful of woody greens.
Recipe: Grilled Asparagus with balsamic reduction
Image credit: The Modern Proper
Rocket
Every child’s nightmare salad leaf but a favourite addition to mild foods for a more mature pallet, Rocket is used widely in Italian cooking. A final touch to a pizza or finely chopped and mixed into pasta dishes, it’s especially popular in the south; rucolino a sweet, peppery digestif is made from the plant on the Island of Ischia in the Gulf of Naples.
Recipe: Fig, Prosciutto and Rocket Salad
Image credit: Curly's Cooking
Rhubarb
Your grandma’s favourite addition to a fruit crumble is in fact a vegetable. Stew with a liberal helping of sugar for ruby-coloured goo that can be dressed up (crumble topping) or dressed down (creme fraiche)- a winner for every occasion.
Recipe: Chia and rhubarb breakfast jar (scroll to bottom for English version)
Image credit: Andrajos Cooking Journal
Crab
Not the obvious choice for your student sandwich filling, but around 60,000 of these little nippers are caught off British shores every year, so why not support local fisheries and reduce food miles? Win, win. Like with any animal products, our advice is quality over quantity. For seafood you can check the product has an MSC Ecolabel to be sure it’s sustainably sourced.
Recipe: Tarragon crab cakes with aioli
Image credit: Donna Hay
Broad Beans
There are few therapies more inexpensive yet as effective as popping bright green broad beans from their furry pods. Admittedly not the most flavoursome of vegetables, broad beans are however very nutritionally dense and combined with stronger flavours like mint, they’re very palatable.
Recipe: Broad bean, lemon & Parmesan bucatini
Image credit: Melanie Lionello
Greendrops from greenland
Everyone’s favourite staple green,the humble garden pea (and all it’s pea siblings), is in season- look for local and organic!
Recipe: Pea pesto with ricotta
Image credit: Tasting Table
Cherries
Apart from their high-profile in pop-culture, cherries are a favourite of health-experts too. Their high polyphenol count and antioxidant content makes them beneficial for muscle repair and sleep amongst others. There is evidence that drinking cherry juice improves sleep quality and duration as it helps produce melatonin.
Recipe: Fresh cherry coolers
Image credit: Food and Flair
Gooseberries
They went out of fashion for a while but are returning with vengeance, especially paired with another classically British flavour- elderflower, which happens to be in season to! A perfect spring/summer pair- put on your summer dress and think of English country gardens.
Recipe: Gooseberry crumble cake
also try
Elderflower pannacotta with muscat syrup
