Written by Tom Moggach
June 10, 2016
For top notch ingredients this June, look no further than these beauties below - asparagus and garlic scapes, the flowering shoot of a garlic plant.
The asparagus above is the wild variety, the ancient ancestor of modern cultivars. To be honest, I'm more of a fan of familiar asparagus, such as these green and purple spears below.
It's peak asparagus season so prices are highly reasonable. As for the garlic scapes, they fetch a premium. You can read more about this product in last month's Grower Profile of the South West Garlic Farm.
At this time of year, peas and broad beans are other classics. English runner beans have not yet hit their stride.
New and mids potatoes - including Cornish and Kentish - are also a highlight, and join the Jersey Royals that have been with us for months.
Among the brassicas, British Spring and Hispi cabbages and kale are your best bet. There's a glorious range of tomatoes, including these from Nutbourne Nurseries - see our Grower Profile for more info. English lettuces are also in their prime.
On the fruit front, homegrown options include strawberries and raspberries. Currants and gooseberries are still largely from the Continent.
Spanish flat peaches, round peaches (including white), nectarines and apricots are always a bestseller.
Spanish cherries are also popular. The English crop won't be long now.
Melons are also gathering momentum - Spanish and Italian. Main varieties are Gala, Honeydew and watermelon.
Figs are also looking gorgeous.
Continental specialties include round courgettes, fennel, fresh almonds, Borlotti beans, yellow beans and rose garlic.
You may also find some foraged elderflower.
For something offbeat, any guesses on the products below?
The first is a cacao pod, the fruits for chocolate. These are from wholesaler Gilgrove. To be honest, they don't sell fast as most people don't know what to do with them. The second is galangal, that wonderful Asian root.
See you in July. I'm already excited by the prospect of the most underrated British fruit - the humble gooseberry.
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