Charlotte's Basket - May

The ingredients I'm cooking with this month

From a culinary perspective, this is one of my favourite times of the year. It is a delight to have so many lovely ingredients to cook with. In the last few weeks, I’ve been cooking outdoors again where I can, as you can see from my table of goodies in the photo, and we’ve been enjoying lots of delicious salads. I have a new wood-fired pizza oven I’ve been testing out, which is also good for cooking vegetables as well as pizza.

We are currently making the most of the English asparagus season. I won’t buy it if it is grown elsewhere. And it is so delicious. There are many farm shops and PYOs selling their own produce, and we are lucky to have some near us. Looking to the shops, the Worcestershire asparagus I’ve been buying from Waitrose has been particularly good. I like to chargrill it, using just a dash of olive oil and a tiny drizzle of olive oil, and cooking it on a ridged pan on the hob. It will take around 8-10 minutes to cook, but I think this method really enhances the flavour, and helps to prevent overcooking, which can happen with boiling or steaming.

Another first for the year was the arrival of Jersey Royal potatoes. I know not everyone likes their distinctive flavour, but it is a treat to have some really fresh new potatoes. They are always delicious boiled in salty water and served with some butter (we had some lovely butter from Netherend Farm this week), but I often like to make a potato salad, dressing the warm boiled potatoes in either some mayonnaise or yoghurt with plenty of Dijon mustard and perhaps some chopped parsley and/or mint leaves or the very last of the wild garlic leaves or flowers. It’s so good. Adding cooked broad beans and/or peas is a wonderful variation, too. I rely heavily on frozen broad beans and peas to supplement summery salads - they are such useful ingredients to have to hand.

The very first strawberries and raspberries are just starting to arrive, and so far, they’ve been absolutely delicious. We well be sure to make the most of them during the season.

And finally, the tomato season is starting. We have been enjoying fresh tomatoes and aubergines from the Isle of Wight tomato company. They offer a range of boxes in different sizes and it is a treat to order one a week throughout the summer. They taste excellent and look sensational in salads. Those of you who shop with Ocado will find them for sale there, too.

I hope you will have a month of delicious food ahead. Let me know if you try any of these treats!