Welcome to this weeks newsletter - grab a cup of tea or coffee, a comfy chair, as it is a longer than usual read. Let’s chat about what is coming into season, what will be fun to cook with and what tastes great. Scroll down for a large selection of recipes to try.
Please share with us, if you try any of our recipes. If you change any ingredients - let us know and we can share with the growing Foodies community. Or better still …. share our newsletter, It would wonderful if you can help us get the foodie word out there! It is not easy task to get your message heard these days. Thank you!
If you don’t already please subscribe - free or paid, we love you all. Obviously if you contribute even a minimal amount, this helps us finance the good work! Talking of work, let’s crack on….enjoy.
“Eating the Season” is all well and good, if you know what is coming into season and when. In an age where we are so used to produce being imported, and on our shelves 12 months of the year, we are losing the art of eating the season.
The vast amount of our foodies audience will have been taught this in school. In my day it was called “Home Economics”, but now, for the younger generation, this is something that is missed, and unless we pass our knowledge on - I see a bleak future for flavour. Because, if you were to ask me “how do you tell if something is in season?” I would answer, “taste it”, because the flavour will tell you. Eating a tomato in December is a completely different experience to eating one picked from a local vine in July, when it hasn’t been transported 1000’s of miles!
Of course we (UK foodies) look at the US with envy, as you have so many different climates that allow for a wide variety of delicious ingredients to grow and flourish. But ingredients still have to travel, so the more we can buy and eat locally, the better for our planet.
When you think of “Eating the Season,” does your mind instantly jump to fruit and vegetables? I think that the majority do, but here is a myth buster. It can mean foraged food and herbs, meat, fish and even some cheeses!
Let’s break down what comes into season during the month of May.
Foraging for your Supper
Regular followers of Foodies will know that it was only a few weeks ago I was foraging myself for Wild Garlic. A magical thing - it screams “SPRING HAS ARRIVED”. Check out newsletter posted on April 5th to read all about it!
If you plan on trying a bit of foraging, remember to do so with care and consideration for the environment. Make sure what you are picking from hedgerows is not protected and practice the 1/20 rule (one for me, 20 left for nature). Though, I’m not convinced that this rule applies to nettles!
Dandelion Season
Nettles
Elderflower
Dandelion leaves
Borage flowers
Elderflower, Nettles & Borage
Early nettles are mean! Wear thick gloves when harvesting and clip out the younger tips to use in your recipes. Great for soup and I use them to create a Tomato and Nettle Chutney (Myrtle’s Gardener’s Chutney). Leave a comment below if you’d like the recipe!
Elderflowers - Harvest in the morning when they are at their most pungent. Perfect for cordial or delicious dipped in tempura and made into fritters!
Dandelion - use the inner younger leaves, the older darker leaves can be unpleasantly bitter. A great addition to salads.
Harvest borage flowers and add them to your ice cubes, so beautiful.
Morel mushrooms
Although I have been known to brave the odd self picked, puff ball or field mushroom, I am not very brave and prefer to let someone with a greater knowledge harvest any mushrooms.
A fabulous selection of mushrooms available at the famous “Pike Place Market” Seattle. Spotted during Lisa and my first visit there together!
Book Recommendation:
“Buds & Blossoms” and “Forage” are written by the amazing Liz Knight.
Foraging in the Black Mountains
Be shown how to forage by an expert! Liz runs courses all over the UK, but her home is found in The Black Mountains, my part of the UK. She is a delightful person with a clear and enthusiastic way of explaining the process of foraging safely.
Herb Garden
Honestly, if I started to list the number of herbs coming into season during May, we could be here all day. A plentiful supply of herbs is essential to any kitchen garden. Growing from seed is the most cost-efficient. One rule, if you don’t like the herb, don’t grow it. Tarragon can be a very marmite herb, you do or you don’t and it is tricky to grow, so do not waste your energy.
Work out your top 6 -8 that you are regularly buying and plant them up in window boxes or pots to ensure an ongoing supply.
I suggest:
Basil
Mint (Always in a pot on its own - such a control freak of a herb)
Parsley
Coriander
Oregano
Chives
Thyme
Grow them alongside your sage, fennel, and rosemary. I also recommend investing in a bay tree for your patio.
Of course, there are many others, but this is a great start. I have been advised to water in the morning, not the evening. Apparently herbs don’t like going to bed with wet feet!
If you want the seeds from your herbs, allow them to grow leggy and flower and turn to seed pods. Harvest later in the year and dry, (e.g. Coriander, fennel). If you don’t plan on using the seeds, pinch out your herbs to ensure a plentiful supply of the leaves throughout the summer. At the end of the summer, remember to harvest and dry the herbs for winter use. Save money by not buying little pots of herbs and packaging!
Freezing Surplus Herbs
Such a brilliant way to store surplus fresh herbs for the long winter months.
Just grab a cube or two from the freezer and pop it into soups, casseroles, and curries.
![](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_474,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa7551c53-32d4-498d-8f92-2eb5d93fb502_480x640.jpeg)
![](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_474,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1892321f-094f-42c0-983b-129a8c595627_640x480.jpeg)
![](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_474,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9ff9b22c-8d5d-4ac5-b4fa-13c96d1f8670_640x480.jpeg)
![](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_720,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9f69c998-96d7-4ec6-aa44-203fc2415e2a_640x480.jpeg)
![](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_720,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F841ead08-e2c4-463d-9835-9b27ac5b0fa4_640x480.jpeg)
The photo’s explain the process perfectly. I pop a little olive oil into the blender, just to help the herbs break down. One tip, remember to clearly label the freezer bag with the type of herb.
I find the silicone ice cube trays brilliant for removing the cubes easily.
Fruit Basket
We are going to have to be a little patient. May is early to fill the fruit bowl with locally grown goodies. In Herefordshire, our landscape is blighted with polytunnels, but inside them are acres of strawberry crops, and the earliest arrivals are now being picked.
For me, strawberries don’t have quite enough flavour yet, they need a little bit more sunshine. But if you cannot bear to wait, they are starting to creep into the shops.
The absolute champion for the month of May is RHUBARB.
Much maligned - it is so delicious! So versatile as it can be included at breakfast, lunch and dinner - savoury and sweet.
Get ready for June, that is when the soft fruits start arriving. Prepare space in your freezer!
Vegetable Bonanza!
Unlike fruit - there are so many vegetables now available for the month of May and some of them won’t be hanging around, so it is important to make the most of them.
There is absolute nothing like the flavour of freshly picked veg! Lots of “leafy” options amongst your choices for May.
Asparagus - the end of the season for this amazing vegetable
New Potatoes: including Jersey Royal’s and Pembroke, my personal favourites. It has been an atrocious year for the potato crop in the UK this winter. So wet, with crops rotting in the soil, and farmers unable to harvest. We may well see quite a hike in the price for potatoes!
Baby turnips (far more palatable than the adult version!)
Leafy spring vegetables and cabbage
Broad beans (and the early ones are the best!)
Wet season garlic
Salad leaves & watercress
And then there are the young baby vegetables, like carrots, artichokes etc which are fantastic additions to a meal. If we are lucky we may see the first spring onions & radishes.
Meat
The arrival of “Spring Lamb” during May is a celebration. Of course, lamb is available earlier in the year, but the cost is so prohibitive. We should now start to see it become more affordable.
Find the recipe for our Slow Roast Shoulder of Lamb in our cookery book, “Twelve Menus of Christmas” - available on Amazon
Twelve Menus of Christmas - UK
Twelve Menus of Christmas - US
Spring Chicken and who doesn’t love a spring chicken or Poussin? I would recommend checking the welfare details of the bird before buying. If you are uncomfortable about where the chicken is sourced from, I recommend a butcher for your meat.
Fish Catch of the Day
May brings a catch to please everyone. White fish, oily, shellfish, flat fish, they will all be arriving in the fishmongers shop. Again, check that they have been ethically sourced and the fish that you are buying is not endangered.
With so many rumours about the welfare of farmed fish, it may be worth doing a bit of homework. Buying line caught fish, can help, but can be more costly.
Crab
Prawns
Plaice
Pollock
flounder
Herring
Trout
Foodies Recipes - In Season for May
Poached Spring Rhubarb (A no waste recipe).
The poached baton will be used in the “Breakfast Pastries”
![](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F7c63125b-3f28-4740-a446-8e6723ffb2d5_640x480.jpeg)
Ingredients
3 sticks of early pink rhubarb
100ml freshly squeezed orange juice.
1 x teaspoon of white sugar
Instructions
Cut the rhubarb into batons, about 2”/4cm long. You should get three from each stick of rhubarb. Don’t throw away the trimmings.
Pour the orange juice into a saucepan and add the rhubarb baton and trimmings and put on a very low heat on the stove top and leave to poach very slowly for about 30 minutes.
Carefully remove the baton and set to one side.
Remove the trimmings and refrigerate. Perfect for having on porridge or granola for breakfast.
Stir the sugar into the orange juice (you can add more if you have a sweet tooth) and simmer for 5 minutes until slightly reduced and syrupy. Pour into a container/small jug and refrigerate until needed. Lovely over chocolate puddings, ice cream etc.
Rhubarb Breakfast Pastry
I’ve made my pastries with round bases, but square or oblong are just fine! If you don’t like marmalade, use apricot jam.
Serves 4
Ingredients
12 of the poached rhubarb baton
1 x pack pre rolled puff pastry
1 x egg - lightly beaten
4 teaspoons bitter orange marmalade
Creme Fraiche to serve
Instructions
Pre heat the oven to 180’c /350’f
Cut out your chosen shape for the pastry - remember that they will puff up and shrink in diameter in the oven. Place onto a baking tray.
Prick to one centimetre from the edge of the pastry with a fork.
Brush with beaten egg and bake for about 10 minutes in the oven or until golden brown.
Remove from the baking tray to a cooling rack, and while still hot, brush each with a teaspoon of marmalade. It should spread easily because it will melt a little from the warmth of the pastry beneath. The centre will sink a little which is ideal, because the rhubarb will nestle in. Line up three sticks of rhubarb onto the top of the marmalade area. Plate up and serve with a spoonful of creme fraiche.
White Fish & Rhubarb Parcel
Usually, I am just cooking for myself these days, so I have created this recipe for one – if cooking for more, just multiply by the amount you are feeding.
![](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_474,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F45689dfb-610f-4cd4-b4bc-ce13a9c78d06_480x640.jpeg)
![](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_474,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F8b4d380d-611f-4288-b9cb-4f4251e8a7b9_480x640.jpeg)
![](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_474,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa2f3e5e6-3116-46db-b2b0-70f8d6e25ac7_480x640.jpeg)
Ingredients
Serves 1 - scale up if serving more.
1 x piece of white fish (I used Hake as I had some in the freezer).
½ stick of early rhubarb, sliced thinly.
1 x spring onion sliced thinly on the diagonal.
1 x radish – thinly sliced.
¼ deseeded chilli – finely sliced
1cm piece of fresh ginger, grated.
12 flat leaf parsley leaves – torn.
1 x unwaxed lemon (rind grated and juiced)
1 x tablespoon soya sauce
Freshly ground black pepper
1 x tablespoon Olive oil
Parchment paper
Preheat the oven to 180’c/350’f
Instructions
Cut a piece of parchment paper large enough to create a parcel around the fish and contain the other ingredients. I find it easiest to rest the paper in a shallow bowl and layer the ingredients into the parchment while contained in the bowl.
In the centre of the parchment, add the rhubarb, onion, radish, chilli, ginger, parsley, grated rind of half of the lemon, 1 x teaspoon of the lemon juice, soya sauce. Carefully toss the ingredients together, to coat in the juice and soy.
Rest the piece of fish onto the rhubarb mix. Drizzle over the olive oil and season the fish with the black pepper. Bring the edges of the parchment together and fold a few times to create a seal.
Place on a baking sheet.
Cooking time will depend upon the size of the portion of fish. I allowed 20 minutes.
Take care not to scald fingers, when checking, as the steam will build up in the parcel
The fish was cooked and the other ingredients, cooked but still crunchy.
Season the fish with sea salt if needed, but the soy will add saltiness.
Notes: I seasoned the fish prior to cooking with Myrtle’s Kitchen Lemon Myrtle, Dill and brine salt
The Hairy Bikers, Lamb with Spring Vegetables
If you check in with us regularly you will know that we are huge fans of the Hairy Bikers and their recipes.
I had intended to include to include a Lancashire Hot Pot recipe, but when I spotted this recipe in the “Meat Feasts” book, I thought it was perfect for May!
I think it appeals to the Welsh Girl in me, as it reminds me of Welsh Cawl, and I would be serving this up with a hunk of bread and cheese!
Serves 4
Ingredients
1 tablespoon Olive Oil
750g Lamb neck fillets, cut diagonally into 2cm pieces
10g butter
1 onion, finely chopped
250ml white wine
250ml lamb or chicken stock
A sprig of rosemary, mint and parsley
8 x baby carrots
1 x large fennel bulb
4 x baby turnips – halved lengthwise
1 x large courgette
2 x leeks
200g sprouting broccoli trimmed
100g broad beans or peas
Chopped parsley leaves, to garnish
Shredded mint leaves, to garnish
Flaked sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
Heat the oil in a large flameproof casserole dish. Add the lamb and sear it on all sides, then remove it with a slotted spoon and set aside.
Turn down the heat and add the butter to the casserole. When it has melted, add the onion and cook for a few minutes until it has softened without taking on any colour. Put the lamb back into the casserole dish and season with salt and pepper.
Turn the heat up a little, then pour in the wine and stock. Allow the liquid to bubble, then add the herbs. Bring to the boil, then cover the casserole, turn the heat down to a low simmer and cook for 45 minutes.
Meanwhile, prepare the vegetables. Peel the carrots and cut in half lengthwise. Trim the fennel bulb and cut into wedges. Cut the baby turnips in half and cut the leeks and courgette into diagonal slices.
Once the lamb has simmered for 45 minutes, add the carrots, fennel and turnips and simmer for another ten minutes. Add the leeks, then 5 minutes later add the courgette, sprouting broccoli and peas or beans. Continue to simmer until all of the vegetables are tender (at least another 5 minutes).
Serve garnished with parsley and mint leaves.
Asparagus, Bacon & Courgette Pasta Bowl
A quick and easy, nourishing pasta dish. I have used wholegrain pasta. My son is not keen on asparagus (he has no taste), so when cooking for him, I substitute it for broccoli florets. I blanch these and add at the end after the cream.
If vegetarian – omit the bacon and parmesan and use a smoked vegetarian cheese.
I am a cheese a holic! I love to add a tasty, grated cheddar at the end, but that is completely your choice.
This recipe (if there is any left) reheats well for a lunch snack the following day.
Serves 4
Ingredients
Your chosen pasta – enough to feed 4 people
8 x rashers of streaky bacon (I used smoked) - sliced
8 x asparagus spears
4 x spring onions, sliced on a diagonal
1 x large courgette – sliced into ribbons, with a potato peeler
2 x big handfuls of baby spinach
2 x cloves of garlic, grated
300ml cream
½ a chicken or vegetable stock cube
4 x heaped tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
Cheddar cheese – grated to serve (Optional)
Salt and Pepper
2 x tablespoons of olive oil and basil leaves to serve
Instructions
You will need two pans for this dish. Fill a large saucepan with water. Add it’s lid and bring the water to the boil. Salt it and add your chosen pasta. Set your timer for the cooking time suggested on the packaging for your pasta.
Break the asparagus at the base of it’s stem where it freely want to break. Discard the bottom tougher pieces. Cut off the spears and slice the remainder of the stems.
In a separate large wok style pan, or casserole heat a tablespoon of olive oil. Add the bacon and fry until starting to brown. Add the spring onion, courgette ribbons and the asparagus and fry with the bacon on a medium heat for about 5 minutes. The bacon should be lovely and brown.
Add the grated garlic and stir through.
Add the pot of cream and 4 tablespoons of grated parmesan and stir through. Crumble in the stock cube and add 4 tablespoons of the pasta cooking water. You can add a little more water if needed. Add the handfuls of spinach and fold through. Season with black pepper and check before adding salt, as the bacon can be salty and may be sufficient.
Drain your pasta when ready and add to the pan and fold through the sauce and all of the vegetables. Serve with additional cheese and a drizzle of olive oil and torn fresh basil leaves.
Asparagus & Smoked Salmon Quiche
Do not be put of if you do not own a quiche dish. I have used a 7” loose bottomed sandwich cake tin and it worked brilliantly well.
I have always used shortcrust pastry to make the case in the past, but because I had some ready rolled puff pastry thought that I would give it a go and loved the results. A lovely crunchy crispy pastry to bite into.
Serves 4
Ingredients
1 x pack ready rolled puff pastry
1 x shallot (finely chopped) or 2 spring onions (cut on the diagonal).
10-12 spears of asparagus
100g pack smoked salmon
3x fresh eggs
150g feta cheese - cubed
fresh oregano leaves
100ml milk
Freshly ground black pepper & a pinch of sea salt
1 tablespoon Olive oil
Instructions
Preheat oven to 180’c
Firstly bake blind the quiche case. Line a 7”12.5cm sandwich tin with the flat sheet of puff pastry. Plug any holes that may appear, with surplus pastry. With a fork pierce the base numerous time to stop it puffing up during the cooking. Run a knife around the top to cut off the surplus pastry. Line it with parchment paper/greaseproof paper and fill the centre with baking beans, or rice/dried pulses.
Bake for 20 minutes. Carefully remove from the oven and and remove the parchment and beans. Return to the oven for a further 8-10 mins until the base is dry and cooked.
Meanwhile, snap the tough ends away from the asparagus spears. Slice the stalks into 1 cm pieces and leave the spear complete.
Heat the oil in a frying pan on a medium heat. Add the onion/shallot and asparagus. cook for 5 minutes.
In a jug whisk together the milk and the eggs. Add seasoning,
Slice the smoked salmon and chop the fresh oregano.
Add the salmon, onion and asparagus to the flan case. Sprinkle over the herbs and the cubes of feta cheese.
Put the flan case onto a baking sheet, it will make it easier to transport to the oven. Pour the egg mixture into the flan dish and return to the oven.
Cook or 30-35 minutes, or until the egg is set and the top golden.
Allow to cool and remove from the sandwich tin. Serve.
Kimchi
Kimchi is something that I am really getting into. I started to include it in my diet to improve gut health and it is becoming a staple along with Kombucha.
Making it however, I have found a little tricky. It is a little trial and error finding the balance of ingredients for you and the right heat level. Also, it can be a little lively sometimes, when you remove the lid for the first time after fermentation.
When making Kimchi, make sure that your jars and lids are sterilised and that when you pack them with the mix, that all of the ingredients are submerged in the brine liquid. This will help stop any mould forming on exposed vegetables. It is possible to buy plastic discs that drive down the ingredients from specialist cookshops. If you enjoy preserving, worth the investment as they as cheap as chips!
Choose vegetables that are crunchy for your Kimchi. They will soften a little during fermentation, but you don’t want a pulp. These are my suggestions, but you can shake it up and if you prefer a hot Kimchi, add more chilli.
When preparing the vegetables, remove any blemished or bruised parts and discard.
Ingredients
Ingredients
400g/14oz pointed spring cabbage - finely shredded
2 carrots, washed, peeled and grated
20g/1oz peeled fresh ginger - finely grated
6 x radish - topped and tailed and thinly sliced
6 x spring onions - sliced
3 x garlic cloves - peeled and finely grated.
For the sauce:
150ml/5.2fl oz fish sauce
30g1.5oz/ sugar
juice of 2 limes (I didn’t have wax free limes, if I had, I would have added the grated rind)
125ml/4.5fl oz water
1 x 1litre/2lb glass jar and lid
Instructions
Once all of the vegetables have been prepared - put them into a metal bowl together and toss them with your hands so they get well combined. Set to one side.
In a jug, combine the wet ingredients, add the sugar and stir to dissolve it. Pour the solution into the jar and then slowly start packing in the vegetables. You will think “No Way” at first - but they will go in. Patience and keep pushing down into the liquid.
Once full - seal and set aside in the corner of the kitchen for the magic to happen. The fermentation period should take 7-10 days depending on the temperature in your kitchen.
Once open store in the ‘fridge and use within a month.
Elderflower Cordial
I have been making Elderflower Cordial for more years than my mathematics ability allows me to calculate. Every year I use a different recipe and every year it tastes good. If you miss the elderflowers, you can always wait until they turn to berries and make this into cordial. It is meant to be an excellent tonic to ward off colds!
The citric acid for this recipe can be bought in the UK at Chemists. Find this recipe, along with other cordials in our second cookbook, “The Foodies Table”.
Ingredients:
1kg/2lb granulated sugar
4 juicy limes (Unwaxed)
4 juicy lemons (unwaxed)
50 Elderflower heads
65g/ 2.2oz citric acid
A sterilised metal or ceramic bowl.
Boil 1.75l/3 pints water. Put in your sterilised bowl and add the sugar and stir until dissolved. Cover while and allow to cool while you prepare your citrus fruit.
Slice the fruit thinly and add to the water, along with any juice that may have escaped when slicing.
Hold the elderflower heads upside down and shake to shed any insects that may be hiding. Add to the water with the citric acid.
Cover and leave in a cool dark place for 48 hours. The smell will be amazing!
Strain through a nylon sieve twice to and then bottle the liquid cordial into sterilised bottles and cover.
It will keep for up to 2 months. When opened, keep in the fridge.
If you have enjoyed this months newsletter and have ideas and feedback, let us know in the cha. And share the contents of “Eating the Season”.
More Americans should give rhubarb a chance. My grandmother grew and canned rhubarb. Now I frequently run into people who have never heard of it, let alone eaten it.
Thank you so much! I will try this and share my experience 🙂