2 days ago
Here's what's in season in early summer and how to cook it
Normally at this time of year, we're just coming out of the so-called "hungry-gap", when the last of the winter crops has been harvested, and the late spring/early summer produce isn't quite ready to be picked.
The gap is usually around March to May, but this year, the weather has been so warm, dry and sunny, that some growers are already harvesting height-of-summer treats, like strawberries, aubergines and even tomatoes.
Climate change might have hurried along these fruit and vegetables that in 'normal' years are best eaten when the earth is cracked and the air buzzes with heat, but there is also a lot of early summer produce that is bang on time…
Rhubarb
Forced rhubarb season, when the tart spears are hidden away in cloches, deprived of sunlight to make them inch up faster and turn almost Barbie pink, is done and dusted. Now is the moment for greener, thicker rhubarb stems, harvested right through until July.
"Technically a vegetable, rhubarb is easy to grow and so tasty. Unlike paler pink 'forced' rhubarb, which is grown in darkened tunnels, our rhubarb is field-grown, its blush-pink stalks stronger flavoured and more tinged with green," says Emily Lloyd, food lead at organic veg box company Riverford.
Of course you can take the crumble route or be a little adventurous and have it pickled and served with oily fish like mackerel, but Lloyd also recommends simply stewing it "with a little sugar and a touch of ginger if you like, then serve with greek yogurt for an incredibly simple dessert or breakfast. Or mix it through freshly whipped cream to turn it into a fool – one of the easiest desserts you'll make, and so elegant."
Broad beans
These soft, slightly furred beans can divide opinion. A bag of them, still in their pods, requires setting aside a chunk of time to de-pod, blanche, and then peel each individual bean to remove the tough, translucent, papery case, to reveal the grass-green bean underneath – which, even after all that care and attention, can prove horribly mealy to eat. Frozen peas can seem like a much, much easier and more efficient option. But, if you're a broad bean fan, the faff to bean ratio is worth it.
They peak in July but are cropping now and are best raked through a salad, eaten on toast with mozzarella, or blitzed with garlic, lemon, mint and loads of olive oil, salt and pepper from now until the end of July. In Italy, they're also eaten raw as a snack with Pecorino.
Gooseberries
If you grow these sharp, chandelier shaped berries, you'll know that picking them requires unbelievably thick skin – the spikes on the bush are medieval-style lethal. And the berries themselves are admittedly far less appealing to handle than blueberries and raspberries.
They tend to need cooking, unless you love things that make your mouth pucker with sourness, but once cooked, they go silky and juicy. Top a bowl of custard with them, or add cream and shards of broken up meringue. Look out for the beautiful red varieties available, and scoff them between now and even into August (if we're lucky).
Asparagus
Hopefully you've already been nabbing every Irish-grown asparagus spear you've spotted through May. Keep going – they're in season until the end of June. "Compared to the year-round imports, which are not only less remarkable in taste and quality, they are often flown in, due to how perishable asparagus is, meaning there's a high carbon footprint attached," says Lloyd.
"I love it steamed and dressed in a little olive oil and salt and then dipped into runny eggs as a replacement for toast soldiers. It's also gorgeous in a vegetarian carbonara – it pairs so well with dairy and creamy, cheesy flavours."
Globe artichokes
Like their seasonal compadres broad beans, globe artichokes are well fortified against being eaten, and effort is necessary to prise off their pointy petals and get to the meat inside. However, thanks to the plants being incredibly tall and sculptural, "you don't have to bend to pick them," says Guy Singh-Watson, founder of Riverford. "Artichokes are one of my favourite vegetables to grow – big, brash and dramatic. They're always a talking point on the farm. I love them," he adds.
They're in season from now until late July and the classic way to eat them is steamed, before dipping each petal in butter, but they're also pretty striking deep fried, and artichoke hearts can make a great dip with lots of molten cheese. "I especially like them in samphire and blue cheese pasta," says Singh-Watson.
