While April gives us the first fresh tastes of Spring, May is when the vegetable garden gathers speed and there are new treats to harvest with each passing week. Here are some of our favourites to enjoy now.
Vegetables
- Asparagus. Tossed in olive oil, lemon juice and Maldon salt and grilled in a searing hot griddle pan until just charred. Delicious
- Lettuce. The cut and come again varieties are giving us all the leaves we need. They include Batavia Red, Batavia Green, Mustard Red Zest, Mustard Ruby Streaks and Tatsoi and at this time of year seem to replenish as we pick them. We also have some beautiful Speckled Trout and Bronze Beauty lettuces for when we want a whole head.
- New Potatoes. The first of the season are always so special. We recommend Pentland Javelin and Sharpe’s Express for first early varieties.
- Radishes. I can’t understand why we don’t grow and eat more of these in the UK. There are so many more varieties available to gardeners than in the supermarket, ranging from mellow and vegetal to sparkling with peppery heat, that they really deserve to be featured more. And they’re so quick to crop too! Try them braised in browned butter as an unusual side to your Sunday roast.
- Spinach. We love the young leaves in salads or wilted down in a Spinach and Herb Pie, We’ve had success growing both Toscane and Medania which have excellent flavour and a good resistance to bolting. Do keep well watered.
- Spring Onions. At this time of year I often use Spring onions in place of traditional onions for a fresher flavour and faster cooking time.We strongly recommend Apache and Guardsman for flavour and speed of cropping.
- Turnips. Another often overlooked crop, the young roots (never larger than a golfball) are beautiful mashed with plenty of butter while the young leaves are fantastic in stir fries.
- Watercress. Peppery with a lovely texture, I like this best as traditional soup or added to grilled cheese sandwiches and omelettes.
Herbs
- Calendula Officianalis. Self-seeded calendula have been springing up in the flower beds for weeks. The edible petals make a lovely garnish for salad and cakes.
- Coriander. I know that coriander divides people but I really couldn’t be without it! I use bunches and bunches every week so have to keep on top of successional sowings at this time of year. I’m currently growing Cruiser as my main variety with the feathery Confetti as an additional crop, both of which have excellent flavour and good resistance to bolting.
- Mint. There are so many types of mint available to grow and they are all coming into their own now. A sprig of garden mint in a pan of boiling new potatoes will always evoke the smell of home, while Moroccan mint works beautifully in teas and salads. I like experimenting with lesser known varieties (including chocolate and pineapple) in cocktails, where I can work with their distinct flavour profiles.
- Parsley. Invaluable in the kitchen. At this time of year I grow ‘Champion Moss Curled’ in the garden and ‘Italian Giant’ in the greenhouse. The latter will be moved outside in the next week now that the weather is milder.
- Rosemary. The stalwart of our herb patch, it provides flavouring throughout the year and always deserves a mention. In the Spring it’s delicate blue flowers make a pretty addition to salads.
- Sorrel. It’s hard to imagine the intensity of this unassuming leaf before tasting it. Startlingly sour, it’s packed with lemony flavour that works equally well in a savoury soup or sweet sorbet.
Fruit
- Rhubarb. The season of beautiful forced pink rhubarb may be over but the green-red stems still have much to recommend them. The taste of traditional garden rhubarb crumble and custard needs no further fanfare nor explanation
- Strawberries (grown under cover). The first of the season are always such a treat. Perfect in cocktails, salads, cakes and bakes – or simply eaten from the plant.
Foraged
- Chickweed (Stellaria media). With oval leaves and white star-shaped flowers common chickweed prefers open woodland but can also be found in gardens and field edges. It has a delicate flavour and makes a tasty edition to a salad.
- Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale). These little pom-poms of sunshine need no further introduction! I’ve tried but failed to get on with the raw leaves in salad or pesto (I find them a little too bitter and there are usually tastier options growing in the garden) but I have added them to wilted greens and love harvesting the flower heads with my children to mix into cake batter or to make vegan ‘honey’. They’re also a great addition to skincare products.
- Elderflower (Sambucus nigra). The flavour of elderflower has become quite ubiquitous in recent years, but with good reason. The blossoms have an exceptional scent and flavour that is so easy to capture in sugar syrup. One of my favourite things to forage and drink.
- Hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna). The sight of hedgerows of common hawthorn in blossom is one of my favourite sights of the year. The young leaves and flower petals are both edible and can be added to salads.
- Nettle (Urtica dioica). If, like me, you spend a considerable time weeding nettles out of the garden you will have a ready supply for the kitchen. The young leaves make a delicious soup and work fantastically in a spanakopita.
- Wild Garlic (Allium ursinum). If you live in the north of the UK you might still have a few weeks left to harvest wild garlic (it’s considered at it’s best before the flowers die) so act quickly if you haven’t had your fill yet. Go today! Fantastic as pesto, with pasta and gnocchi, baked into scones and bread and wilted in stir fries and soups.
