Simple treats for May

By Marjorie Lang

Published:

Radishes with Melted Butter

Brioche French Toast with Warmed Cherries

MAY is to be celebrated for its abundance of wonderful produce. Here are a few of my favourites:

Wild salmon, river and brown trout cannot be beaten when simply pan-fried in butter with a good sprinkle of sea salt and served simply with a wedge of lemon and some buttered new-season potatoes scattered with snipped chives or mint.

Asparagus, of course, is a May-time treat. Grilled or steamed, it doesn’t get any better than a plateful served with melted butter and salt flakes. Buy bright green, firm spears with tight heads and use them up as you buy them.

Radishes are among the prettiest vegetables around, and so often overlooked. They are mild at the beginning of the season and their peppery hotness is intensified as the season progresses. Try to buy them with their leaves attached: not only do they tend to be firmer this way but they look so lovely and are ideal for picking up to either bite them off the stem or dunk them into a dip. Soak them in very cold water for 30 minutes to crisp them up before eating.

Herbs in profusion! Snip them into salads, omelettes and pastas for immediate flavoursome effect.

Californian cherries. These ripen a full two months before our season begins in July and are plump, sweet and juicy – just enough to give us a glimpse of our own summer fruits to come.

All these wonderful ingredients speak for themselves, so simple is best. Here are some really quick and tasty fixes:

Poached Wild Salmon Fillets with Herbed Creme Fraiche

Gently poach two salmon fillets for 10 minutes in fish stock with a splash of wine and a bay leaf. Remove the pan from the heat and allow the fish to cool in the stock.

Mix 2 tablespoons of creme fraiche with a squeeze of lemon, some chopped fresh parsley, basil, mint, chives and some salt and pepper.

Lift the salmon out of the stock and on to a plate. Serve with a dollop of creme fraiche and some buttered new potatoes.

Radishes with Melted Butter

Crisp up bunches of “stalk-on” radishes in cold water for 30 minutes. Melt some butter and pour it into a bowl. Serve the radishes with the butter to dip them into and some sea salt flakes to sprinkle over.

Seared Steak Sandwiches with Radish and Coriander Salad

Season a thick sirloin steak well and cook in a hot griddle pan for 3-4 minutes on each side. Cut a warmed ciabatta loaf in half lengthwise. Spread the bread with mayonnaise on one side and Dijon mustard on the other. Thinly slice the steak and layer this over the mayonnaise spread bread.

Top this with some salad, coriander leaves and lots of sliced radishes. Grind over some salt and pepper and top with the other half of the bread. Cut in half and serve .

Asparagus and Egg Muffins

Halve and toast a muffin. Top each half with cooked asparagus, a poached egg, then a slice of ham. Put a spoonful of creme fraiche and some grated cheese over the top of each half, then place under the grill for a couple of minutes until bubbling and melted.

Pasta with Asparagus Spears and Parma Ham

Cook some fresh pasta with asparagus spears for 3-4 minutes. Drain, then toss with slivers of Parma ham, lots of good olive oil and a squeeze of lemon juice. Season well and serve with grated Parmesan.

Serves 4

1 tblspn butter

1 tblspn caster sugar

Squeeze lemon juice

250g (9oz) pitted cherries

Melt the butter in a frying pan and add the sugar and lemon juice. Stir to dissolve and combine then add the cherries to the pan and cook gently for 5 minutes, until the cherries are warm and soft.

1 egg

150ml (5½fl oz) double cream

1 tblspn runny honey

1 tblspn Greek yoghurt

Whisk together the egg, cream, honey and Greek yoghurt. Dip thick wedges of brioche in the batter and fry in some melted butter for 2-3 minutes on each side, until golden.

Serve with the warmed cherries and a sprinkle of icing sugar – ideal for dessert or breakfast.