What’s in season in May?
The spring growing season is defined by speed. The faster growers literally spring up above the other plants in competition for the limited sunlight at the ground level. But by May, the sunlight hours of our region exceed half the day, lessening this competition and allowing plants to grow woody and fibrous to support larger structures like flowers. Â
And so, May is when Midwest farms start seeing the good stuff, such as:
- Asparagus, which can grow up to 10" in 24 hours
- Green onions and garlic started growing in March but hit their primetime in May
- Rhubarb, to help you kick off pie season
- Elder flower, for some delicious cocktails
- Radishes, for a peppery punch to a salad
- Leafy greens like little gem lettuce or arugula can burn in the summer heat, so they thrive in spring and fall.
How do you use May produce?
Anything can become a good spring dinner if you throw it on the grill. Char up some of your favorite proteins, marinate some greens in the liquid of your choice, and throw them on while your protein rests. If you’re ambitious, cover everything in our edible flowers for a delicious pop of color.
We’re a big fan of Gochujang Asparagus, and have it as often as we can during the fairly short asparagus season.
Gochujang Asparagus
1lb asparagus
1T soy sauce (or tamari, to make this gluten free)
1/4c gochujang
1/2T sesame oil
Gently whisk together the soy sauce, gochujang, and sesame oil in a bowl. Clean the asparagus and toss in the marinade. Grill for 3-5 minutes (use a grill pan so nothing falls through the grates). Impress your friends at the next barbecue.
That’s a wrap on spring.
April showers bring May flowers, and May flowers bring berries by June. We’ll start seeing strawberries first, as early as the last week or two of May through June, and raspberries shortly after that. Keep an eye on the shop for your fruity start to summer.
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