What we're cooking in May

Eating and cooking seasonally is not only great for you, but great for the planet in a whole host of ways. Grown on UK soil, seasonal fruit and vegetables are far fresher and have travelled less distance. And when produced in season, ingredients tend to be cheaper and more plentiful too. The month of May welcomes a bounty of late spring crops, mingled with faint whispers of summer.

What fruit and vegetables are in season in May?

Asparagus - Make the most of asparagus during its peak season, when it’s most tender and flavoursome. Fine asparagus needs little trimming but larger spears are best when snapped near the base to remove the woodiest part. Steamed or blanched, asparagus is light and delightful, but if you want your asparagus to pack a punch, try brushing with oil and griddling it until lightly charred. For more tips, read our asparagus preparation guide.

Aubergine - Technically a fruit, the best aubergines are glossy with a firm, taut skin. If you find your aubergine tends to be spongy, watery or tasteless when cooked, follow our guide on how to prep it to ensure it always delivers on taste and texture.

Chillies - Though you might not expect it, the UK is now producing a variety of delicious chillies. Cayenne chillies are the mildest, but fiery Scotch bonnets and birdseye chillies are now more commonplace. Add chillies right at the end of cooking for a fresher flavour or add early on for a more intensely spicy result. Fresh chilli gives salads an extra zing too.

Lettuce - Easy and fast to grow, lettuce shouldn't be confined to just the salad bowl. Crisp varieties like baby gem can be halved, grilled or barbecued and then drizzled with a warm dressing for a more substantial side dish that pairs perfectly with meat. Alternatively, use lettuce as a low-carb wrap for thai-style spicy pork.

Peas - Forget frozen: there is nothing more satisfying than growing your own peas and popping the little green jewels from their shells (something kids will love helping with too). Once your peas have been shucked, blanch in boiling water, whizz roughly with oil and mint, spread thickly on toasted bread and then top with crumbs of goats cheese for a perfect springtime lunch, starter or snack.

Pepper - Like their cousin, the chilli, UK-grown peppers are now a reality. Fantastically fresh and crisp, green peppers have a complex bitter flavour, orange and yellow are somewhere in between, but red peppers have the brightest and sweetest taste. Learn how to slice, stuff or remove their skins (if pureeing or making into a soup) with our pepper prep guide.

Spinach - Oxalates are what give spinach its metallic tang when the leaves are raw. If you prefer a more mellow flavour, cook spinach to decrease the oxalates, ideally in butter until wilted for a silky texture. For a decadent side dish, add in some chopped fresh rosemary and cream.

Spring onions - The flavour of spring onions is more delicate than a brown onion but can still be strong when raw. To lessen the harshness, try dousing fresh, sliced spring onions with a little lemon or lime juice before serving. They also pair beautifully with cheddar, so a handful in a mac and cheese adds a delectable savouriness.

Strawberries - Homegrown strawberries are unparalleled in their flavour and fragrance. When buying or picking, look for berries that are fully red (green fruit isn’t fully ripened) and remember that bigger isn’t necessarily better, as small strawbs can be filled with flavour too. Upon storing in the fridge, it’s a good idea to remove any fruit from the punnet that’s soft or damaged, as this can cause the rest of the berries to spoil quickly.

Watercress - Like spinach, watercress has a bright, tangy flavour and can be eaten raw or cooked. We love turning it into a pesto: whiz raw watercress with a drizzle of olive oil, a heap of freshly grated Parmesan, a handful of almonds and a clove of garlic, then serve spooned over pasta.

Also in season in May is beetroot, chicory, rocket, radishes, samphire and sorrel, which are all perfect for the salad bowl. Sweetheart cabbage and morel mushrooms make magnificent side dishes when sautéed in butter, whilst rhubarb and elderflower are perfect in puddings and both make spectacular cordials when steeped in sugar syrup.