That feeling in the air of the promise of the day to come

Ah, May!

That feeling in the air of the promise of the day to come…

If April is the dynamic beginning of spring, then May settles us into its lush abundance. Thinking back to the Ted Hughes poem I mentioned in April's post - April Birthday - it ends with a line evoking the hard work of bringing the earth back to life . . .

A shiver of green

Strokes the darkening slope as the land

Begins her labour.

May, by contrast, feels like the respite, sinking down for a cuppa after an extremely busy morning. But not just a cup of tea, one that's accompanied by a luscious bun or something. With a dollop of cream as well!

A sunny May morning and that feeling in the air of the promise of the day to come. It's a special feeling, when you take your early coffee outside and you know summer is on its way. In April, even the brightest days still hold a chill in the mornings; in May, you can already sense the warmth that’s coming.

May begins with May Day—the traditional start of the light half of the year. The Celtic festival of Beltane is celebrated now, marking fertility and renewal, standing opposite Samhain (Halloween), which ushers in the darker half. As with its autumn counterpart, it was once believed that the boundary between worlds grew thin on May Eve, and that protection was needed against fairies and sprites.

In Northern Europe, Walpurgisnacht marks the arrival of May, with its own rituals to ward off witches and wandering spirits.

One of my favourite folkloric traditions is the idea that washing your face in May Day dew ensures a flawless complexion for the year ahead. I can’t say I’ve tested that one recently (I may have done when I was little). I only have a patio now, and I suspect that might involve more exfoliation than I’m prepared for!

Across many countries, May 1st also honours the labour movement and workers’ rights—quite right too. But I find myself more drawn to celebrating the peak of spring: the fertility of the land, so visible and tangible in May.

Here in the UK, it’s also a holiday weekend for many—a time when garden centres are bustling, as people are motivated to join in with the earth's fertility drive by tending to their gardens and growing their own; and the first scents of barbecues drift through the air once everyone relaxes after tending the soil. Beltane is a fire festival, traditionally celebrated with bonfires, so that is something you can honour when you're lighting up your Bank Holiday barbie!

On the food front, May brings some iconic flavours I always think of as quintessentially English. Asparagus is in full swing—I buy it every week. It’s also peak season for British lamb; a simple rack of lamb is hard to beat. Once upon a time, this was the season for wild salmon, but due to severe declines in stocks, it’s no longer something we can enjoy. Brown trout makes a lovely alternative, especially with a sorrel sauce, and I’m also very fond of farmed chalkstream trout, which is available year-round.

And then—new potatoes! A wonderful arrival. Simply boiled, tossed in butter, and finished with chives or dill, they’re the perfect accompaniment.

At the start of the month, dessert ingredients are still a little limited, if you are sticking with what's seasonal: garden rhubarb and citrus, for fruit desserts, with chocolate still an option. I often make a lemon tart or a lemon meringue pie at this time of year. But the real excitement comes later, when the first English strawberries appear. If you’re anything like me, you wait for that moment—and the first taste is always worth it. (I did try some Spanish strawberries in early April this year—purely for research—and no, they weren’t worth it. Hold out for the good ones!)

Gooseberries, another quintessential English fruit, begin to show themselves towards the end of the month, though you often need to grow your own to enjoy them in May. They pair beautifully with fragrant elderflower, which also arrives in May.

Making elderflower cordial is an annual ritual for me—one my children now eagerly anticipate. I've shared my recipe in the Recipe section.

Enjoy the lush abundance of May!