What was in Jan's Pan?
May
It's May, it's May, that gorgeous holiday. That darling month when everyone throws self-control away'
Just like Queen Guinevere in the fabulous Lerner and Loewe musical Camelot, May is definitely up there in the favourite months stakes. What other month boasts two bank holidays at either end, long light-filled days and an abundance of fresh produce? The promise of gatherings with friends and family for long awaited barbecues and al fresco feasts with a glimpse of the warmer weather to come?
Though beware - as my old Nan used to say, ' ne'er cast a clout til May is out' . Wise words indeed - we've been fooled by the promise of sunshine and shivered by a fire pit on more than one occasion. But the food and company kept us warm, and it's always a treat to spend time outside.
All self-control can be thrown away where dessert is concerned, with my guest dessert of choice, the perfect posset (see below). Any month that includes Burger day (if that’s your bag) on 28th May and National biscuit day (embrace it to the full on 29th May) has my vote too. There’s raspberry shortbread to test (recipe below) and I've recently discovered a local source of the Aussie treat TimTams (IYKYK). The trick is to bite opposite corners and use them as a straw then enjoy the molten middle - blissful.
May produce never fails to disappoint. I've been feasting on Spring 'greens' from my veg box - asparagus, broad beans and the pak choi that has been flourishing in the garden. I've gathered wild garlic before it passed its best and frothy fragrant elderflowers at their peak.
We kicked off the month with VE day, and a 1940's food tasting at Hertford museum. I channelled my inner Marguerite Patten (the original Home Economist) to produce recipes which mainly featured 'Doctor Carrot' and 'Potato Pete'. Lots of egg free recipes and even mock banana sandwiches using pureed parsnips (yes, really). The 107 year old man at the BBC VE day concert at the Palace (how cold must he have been that evening, sat next to the King?!) certainly brings home the benefits of the low-sugar, high veg wartime diet.
Out and about, I've definitely gone blissfully astray. I've been to the Pub in the Park, in Tom Kerridge's restaurant town of Marlow, to enjoy the food and music on a sunny Sunday. We enjoyed tips and tastings from chef Atul Kochhar. I hadn’t appreciated that the cuisine for each region of India is defined by the cooking oil it uses, and I was reminded that ground spices should be discarded after 1 year (that’s me spice-shamed, store cupboard sorting scheduled).
I've experienced the morning tea at Peggy Porschen in Belgravia (or Piggy Portion as we affectionately call it) for a friend's birthday treat. I've floated down the Thames from Windsor to Bray, the tiny Berkshire village that boasts 3 Michelin starred restaurants. No dinner stop on this occasion, but I did dine on fresh grouper on a yacht moored next to the Tower of London, alongside HMS Belfast, courtesy of the SeaDream Yacht Club (I get all the best gigs with my Guild of Food Writers membership). Their motto is 'It's yachting not sailing', and with a ratio of almost 1:1 staff to guests and unlimited champagne as soon as you step onboard I think I could be converted......
Darling May... it's a gorgeous holiday.
The elderflower is in full flower at the moment, you can't miss the frothy white blooms and distinctive heady fragrance at this time of year. There's no denying that the white blooms against the blue sky just shout 'we're here for the picking!’
And pick I do, because elderflower cordial is so straightforward to make - a simple sugar syrup and citrus infusion of the flower heads. And for those who say that they don’t trust their instincts to pick the correct white flowers, just pick and smell - you really can’t mistake the delicate aroma of elderflower.
As well as a refreshing drink, diluted and with plenty of ice, I always have some to hand for my favourite Hugo cocktail (happy memories of après-ski). It’s also delectable drizzled over a loaf cake to ring the changes to lemon syrup.
Best picked in the morning, I always shake the heads out and lay them on a tray to let all the creatures scarper - you'd be surprised at the wildlife that comes scuttling out. Don't rinse the heads - it's the powdery yellow pollen that imparts the flavour, but do strain the infused flowers through muslin to be sure the minuscule black bugs don't end up in your cordial (they love the pollen too and without this step they will sneak in - extra protein maybe?). Once the flowers are ready, it’s simply a case of making a sugar syrup with citrus juice and zest, pouring it over and infusing them overnight. I’ve done this so many times some elderflower has seeded itself in the garden. This would be a most convenient instant source, but it's squeezed itself behind the pizza oven and shed (they are effectively prolific wildflower weeds after all) - not ideal.
This year I tried the River Cafe recipe as I was looking for a recipe with optional citric acid (I'll need to restock at Sugar and Scoop, our local refill store, and sadly one of the few I know that have survived, all the more reason to support it). I added more lemon than recommended, to balance the sweetness of the sugar and help with preservation. It keeps in the fridge for a couple of months but it's worth putting some in the freezer too (along with some flowers to see how they hold up). I make ice pop drinks for summer thirst quenching, or perhaps an elderflower sorbet or elderflower fritters to ring the changes. I’ll try drying some blooms in the air fryer too for a fragrant brew - apparently elderflowers have anti viral properties which can help sooth various cold and flu symptoms.
Wild garlic is less easy to come by round here, for some unknown reason. It flourishes in woods alongside streams, so you would think that this county town with its four rivers would be awash with the stuff. But there is only one place I know of locally that is easily accessible, and I got there at the end of its season. Harrods have had the same problem too - I'm told by my inside sources that they had 40 boxes of leaves delivered to freeze so they may keep some of the elements on their award winning afternoon tea menu going!
I made my usual wild garlic pesto as well - frozen into ice cube traysto give convenient sized portions to add pasta or dressings or drizzle over that grilled or steamed asparagus. I added some to my loaf of sourdough, and wild garlic scones are always a winner. The flower seeds can be used too, I blanched and added them to some olive oil to infuse, and they gave a surprisingly strong garlic flavour, which made a lovely salad dressing. They can also be pickled like little caper berries if you've the patience (it involves picking and salting). The options are endless and I really need my own personal supply of that too, it’s just so versatile (though countryside etiquette is such that transplanting is not acceptable - I’ll have to hope for some self seeding here too, though preferably not behind the shed again thank you).
We’ve had plenty of asparagus, broad beans and courgettes (plus actual spring green cabbage too)
Often simple steaming or blanching is enough to keep the texture and bring out the glorious green of these beautiful spring vegetables.
Blanch the broad beans in boiling water for 3 mins, then straight into cold water, and slip off their skins to reveal the emerald prize beneath. Keep the skin on the smaller ones - we all need the fibre after all. Steam the asparagus and pak choi for 3-4 minutes until just tender.
I served this on a potato hash made with grated cooked potato mixed with grated courgette and halloumi, fried til crisp, topped with the veg and drizzled with a lemon dressing.
Homemade dressings are so easy to shake up in a jam jar ( of which I have many, of course). The rule of thumb is 1 part acid to 3 parts oil, along with an emulsifier such as mustard and some sweetener such as honey. I used fresh lemon juice to a good EV olive oil here.
Mine is Greek, from a company called Honest Toil A member of our fantastic Food Swap group buys in bulk and kindly comes round to refill our bottles when we run out - supporting ethical producers and cutting down on plastics.
Asparagus is best friends with egg in our house - poached, fried or boiled. Drizzled with that homemade pesto or spicy Lao Gan Ma crispy chilli oil it’s our go-to lunch or brunch.
There’s been radishes and rhubarb too. The peppery radishes add bite to a salad but are just as good for a stir fry, or roasted. And my favourite way to treat rhubarb is to oven cook it in a medium-hot oven with orange zest and juice, brown sugar and some chopped stem ginger in a covered dish until it’s suitably softened, around 15-20mins. Then store in the fridge to stir into yoghurt and layer up with granola for breakfast or a quick dessert as and when required.
Pass the Posset
When asked to take dessert to a summer barbecue, a lemon or lime posset hits the spot. It's so easy to make and transport, and makes a refreshing end to a meal with soft fruit and a suitable biscuit. If you want to make it look like you've made more effort than it actually takes, and look like you've spent hours preparing, crush some biscuits to make a cheesecake base - gingernuts work particularly well. An almond almendrados biscuit suits gluten-free friends or these raspberry shortbread make a suitably summery accompanimen.
Lemon or lime posset
Take 300ml double cream and 75g caster sugar, slowly bring to the boil to dissolve the sugar and simmer for 3 minutes (don't let it boil over!)
Stir in the juice of 1-2 lemons or limes. The mixture should start to thicken instantly.
Pour into a container (preferably with a suitable lid) and allow to cool, then chill for at least 3 hours or overnight.
Take to the do and do take the praise.
I was inspired by Simon Rimmer's recipe on Sunday Brunch 27 April 2025 for these raspberry shortbreads alongside his version of orange posset (mine above is tried and tested many times).
I have rewritten the biscuit recipe from the instagram post here, adding a little more useful detail.
Raspberry Shortbread Slices
100g caster sugar
2 tsp freeze dried raspberries (or strawberries)
1 tsp orange flower water (I used orange juice or you could use vanilla or perhaps even rose water if you don’t overdo it)
200g butter
300g plain flour
Whizz the raspberries and sugar together and cream in the butter and flavouring of choice then mix in the flour. Knead together then roll into a sausage approximately 10cm diameter.
Sprinkle a sheet of greaseproof with raspberry powder and coat the outside of the dough, then wrap it and twist the ends. Chill half an hour minimum then slice into 1cm thick discs.
Bake 180/160C fan/Gas4 for approx 15 mins until just set.
Remove from the oven and allow to set and cool.
Transfer to an airtight tin to store or transport (I liked the reflections in the pic above - extras for those counting the calories perhaps?).
Smash burgers
As for those barbecue burgers, Smash burgers are all the rage and I have some top tips from the chef of the family.
Mix your mince with your seasoning of choice (salt, pepper and garlic powder works well). Divide into approximately 100g balls .
Heat your griddle pan until very hot, then add the burger. Cover with a square of non-stick greaseproof paper and use a burger press or the base of a pan to press down hard - they're not called smashburgers for nothing, so give it some welly to create those lovely craggy edges.
Cook on one side for 80% of your cooking time so that you really crisp up the bottom surface and the edges and top has started to cook through. Then flip it to finish cooking until fully cooked. It will take around 6-8 minutes in total.
Note: Burgers using mincemeat should always be fully cooked all the way through. The surface area of the minced meat is more prone to pathogen spoilage unless you have exceedingly fresh good quality meat or have cured the meat (but that's where it starts to get really cheffy, involving ‘pink curing salt’ which contains sodium nitrite and working the meat until it’s smooth - let’s leave that one to the professionals).
Now take it off the heat and top with a slice of cheese. Cover with a lid to allow the burger to rest and the cheese to melt in the residual heat. Believe it or not, chefs rate American-style processed cheese squares as best for purpose, you want it to melt quickly and evenly, so a crumbly cheese just won't do.
Spread a burger bun (plain or brioche - the jury's out) with a small amount of mayonnaise and quickly char the surface. This will give a beautifully crisp shiny finish.
Stack your burger with lettuce, tomato, gherkins (if they’re your thing) and the sauce of your choice, perhaps some Chipotle mayo or a blue cheese dressing.
The higher the stack, the messier to eat, the greater the pleasure. Enjoy - National burger day or not.
Ran-out-of-time Ratatouille
Whip this up in just 15 mins - ideal when time is of the essence and dinner needs to be on the table. The sun-dried tomato gives an intense concentrated flavour.
Serves 2
Cut 1 courgette, 1 de-seeded red pepper and 1 small aubergine into 2cm pieces
Coat in oil and roast in the bottom of the pan at 200C for 10 mins, tossing halfway through, until softened and slightly charred
Stir in around 6 halved cherry tomatoes, along with the same quantity of semi-dried tomatoes (add more or less as liked)
Add a good tablespoon of sun-dried tomato paste with a splash of water and cook for another 5 mins.
Throw in some black olives and fresh herbs if you have them to hand and serve with chunky bread to mop up the juices.
My favourite kind of quick fix.