There's a particular feeling in the farm shop when May arrives. the long Essex daylight is finally doing the work it's been promising since March. We've been a family-run farm shop in Billericay since 2001, and there's still no part of the year we look forward to more than this spring crossover.
If you're shopping with us this month, here's what to look out for ... and what to do with it once you get it home.
Asparagus is finally here
The English asparagus season is short ... just eight to ten weeks, ending around midsummer's day on 21 June ... so May is right in the heart of it. We get our spears from East Anglian growers, often the same morning they're cut. Look for tight, firm tips and a clean snap when you bend the stem.
A pile of asparagus needs nothing more than a hot pan, good salted butter, a squeeze of lemon and a poached egg from our eggs collection. It really is that simple. Cooking for a crowd? A sheet-tray traybake with new potatoes and a soft cheese works beautifully.
Rhubarb's last hurrah
Forced rhubarb gives way to outdoor "main crop" rhubarb in May, and the stems get rosier and more robust. It's the season for compote, crumbles and rhubarb cordial. We have Essex-grown rhubarb on the shelf throughout May, and we'd point you at local honey from our pantry section to take the edge off without drowning the sharpness.
If you've never tried roasted rhubarb ... 200°C for 15 minutes with a sprinkle of sugar and a vanilla pod ... we promise you'll be back for more. Spoon it over Greek yoghurt and you've got the easiest weekend breakfast going.
Salad leaves and the first proper tomatoes
Our salad collection gets really exciting in May. Peppery rocket, butterhead lettuce, watercress, baby spinach ... they all come on quickly once nights stop being cold. Pair them with our fresh herbs ... the basil and chives are particularly good right now ... and you've got the foundation of every supper for the next month.
May is also when British tomatoes start tasting like tomatoes again. Isle of Wight and Essex glasshouse growers are picking their first proper batches; you'll spot them in our vegetable section. Don't refrigerate them ... keep them on the windowsill where they'll continue to ripen.
Strawberries
The first British strawberries of the year arrive in May. Strawberries that ripened on a Kent or Essex farm in May taste different, and we'd back ours against any. Quick tip: don't wash them until just before you eat them, or they'll soften.
A word on storage
The most common question we get from new customers is where to keep things. As a rough guide: anything that grows above ground in summer ... tomatoes, basil, peaches ... likes the worktop. Anything that grows below ground ... potatoes, onions, garlic ... likes a dark cupboard. Leaves and herbs do well in a damp cloth in the fridge. Strawberries and asparagus, ideally, get eaten the same day you buy them ... but the bottom drawer of the fridge will hold them for a day or two.
Come and see us
Whether you're cooking a Sunday roast, planning a barbecue for the bank holiday, or just popping in for a loaf of bread and a punnet of strawberries, we'd love to see you. We're at Southend Road, Billericay, CM11 2UQ, and the May produce is restocked daily ...usually before 6am.
If you're not local, much of what's in store can be ordered online. We deliver across Essex, and our shelves are updated as the season moves.
The season keeps moving. Find out what is in season in June at Barleylands. British strawberries are at their peak, Jersey Royals are in their last few weeks and asparagus season ends on 21 June.