What's in Season in June?

Why, this is very midsummer madness

William Shakespeare
A Midsummer Night's Dream

The longest day, the summer solstice, is this month and gardens and fields are full of fruit, vegetables and flowers reaching their best. Many flowers are edible and it takes just a little imagination to make the most beautiful salads at this time of year - think of chive flowers and nasturtiums. it is difficult to know which is the bigger cause of rejoicing - the appearance of elderflowers or native asparagus; both can be found this month. The first fresh kippers come in and last until October. Both haddock and dory are on the fishmonger's slab. Broad beans begin to appear in the shops as well as endive, French beans and kidney beans. The first currants ripen as do the glorious raspberries.

New Season Broad Beans

The summer's first real crop arrives this month: fresh British Broad beans. Broad beans deteriorate faster than most other vegetables, so rush them home to the pot. The fresher and younger they are, the sweeter they taste. Take care not to overcook them - they should have a slight crunch. They are one of our earliest plants. Broad beans have been cultivated in Europe and Asia since the Stone Age. They are known as fava beans in the US. Very young broad beans can be cooked in the pod. Older ones need to be removed from the pods and cooked in boiling water until tender.

Late season beans can taste stale. The best option with these is to cook them and then meticulously peel off the outer covering until you are just left with the bean's apple-green kernel. This is invariably delicious but the process is incredibly fiddly and a kilo of beans comes down to just a handful to eat.

Try them in Broad Bean and Bacon Soup or in a Broad Bean Bake.

Strawberries, pure and simple

Taste the first summer sunshine with a big bowl of English strawberries - there's nothing nicer. There are many recipes that include strawberries but served simply with good fresh cream is a perennial favourite.

Strawberry conserves and jams can be made with any excess crop from your garden or perhaps a local farm. Make them into ice cream or use them in a flan.

One of the most spectacular recipes using strawberries is in a Courting Cake. This is a real summer treat and a good way of using up slightly bruised or over-ripe strawberries or making just a few go further. It was originally made in the north of England by young girls for their betrotheds, hence the name.

Radishes

Thinly sliced radishes make a colourful and pungent addition to salads - try adding them to cooked, cooled sweetcorn, along with some chopped spring onion. Radishes with their green leaves still attached if possible make a good addition to a cruditès selection.

Radish flowers are also easy to make for garnishing. To make a radish flower, cut a thin petal of skin from the tip of the radish to the stem. repeat, making 5 petals. To make a rose, cut a slice off the root end, then make 3 small cuts round that before making the petals. Drop the radishes in iced water for the petals to open.