May

I'm intrigued to see what May will be like this year, given that March did a remarkable impression of May, and the last two weeks of April did everything it could to back track and look like March.

Asparagus

Asparagus is a not-to-be-missed seasonal treat, but it’s vital to get hold of the really good stuff – and that means spears that have been cut within hours rather than days.

Young Salads

By the end of May there are usually plenty of tender young leaves around for salads. Besides the usual lettuces you can expect to find spinach, rocket, sorrel, watercress, and wild greens such as dandelions, fat hen and hogweed shoots. I like to make them into an early summer salad, with a simple, unobtrusive dressing of good olive oil and a little lemon juice.

Wood Pigeon

The arrival of spring seedlings, peas and beans, and rape in particular, is a great resource for wood pigeons, and consequently they should be in good condition by the beginning of May. You may be lucky enough to buy them direct from a gamekeeper or farmer. Otherwise, buy from a game dealer or butcher. They are usually good value, and will be even cheaper if they are still feathered and undrawn rather than ‘oven-ready’.

Sea Trout

The sea trout is a brown trout that has decided, for reasons best known to itself, to go to sea. It has always struck me as an eminently sensible thing for it to do. It comes back to the river a little older, a little wiser and a whole lot tastier. It can be caught in estuaries, rivers, and lochs that empty into the sea. When it comes to buying sea trout, they are one of the great bargains on the fishmonger’s slab – every bit as good, and usually much cheaper, than wild salmon.

Nettles

Nettles are full of good things – iron, vitamins and natural histamine – making them an excellent tonic, particularly useful for improving blood circulation and purifying the system. The best nettles for cooking are the young shoots of early spring, but in May you will often find new growth on the edges of straggly nettle patches. You will also find new young shoots coming through wherever nettles have been cut back, especially after rain. If in doubt about their tenderness, pick only the crown of small new leaves at the top.

Wild garlic

Very common throughout England and Wales, less so in Scotland and Ireland, this native bulb is found in damp woods and shady lanes from March to June; you will often smell the plant before you see it.

The young green leaves, picked before the flowers have died (usually in early May), have a strong, garlicky smell but are pleasantly mild in flavour and can be used raw in salads and sandwiches.

Finely chopped, they make a more potent alternative to chives. The leaves become bitter if cooked for more than a minute or two, but the bulbs can be dug up and used as a mild alternative to garlic cloves. The spiky white flowers are also edible, and look amazing in a green salad.