All The Produce To Get Excited About This May—And What To Cook With It
Photo, Roberto Caruso.
As the old saying goes, April showers brings... May produce! May is when fruits and veggies like rhubarb, strawberries and asparagus start cropping up. Super-seasonal delicacies, like fiddleheads and ramps, are also available, so grab them if you see them (just be sure to cook them properly). Here's everything that's in season in May across Canada, and what you should cook with the first locally grown fruits and veggies of the season.
Rhubarb
Pink rhubarb is pretty much made for the Instagram age, but this sweet-tart veggie is much more than eye candy. It's most commonly found in desserts, but we're fond of savoury preparations too. It's especially delicious in sangria!
Rhubarb recipes:
- Easy no-bake rhubarb charlotte
- Rhubarb muffins
- Rhubarb-apple crisp
- Strawberry-rhubarb sangria
- Rhubarb custard pie
- Rhubarb salad
- Strawberry-rhubarb pie
- Rhubarb upside-down cake
- Plus more of our best rhubarb recipes for spring
Strawberries
Locally grown strawberries will likely start appearing towards the end of the month, but they'll be worth the wait!
Strawberry recipes:
- Strawberry-rhubarb tiramisu
- Strawberry yogurt snacking cake
- Strawberry sheet pan pie
- Strawberry shortcake
- Spicy grilled chicken with strawberry-cucumber salad
- Strawberry scones
- Strawberry and honey semifreddo
- Glazed strawberry hand pies
- Strawberry grapefruit smash
- Strawberry and lime curd trifle
- Plus more of our best strawberry recipes for spring
Asparagus
Green stalks of asparagus are truly a springtime treat. They make a delicious side and they're super easy to prepare.
Asparagus recipes:
- Asparagus and salmon sheet pan dinner
- Shaved asparagus salad
- Baked asparagus fries
- Asparagus soup
- Asparagus tart
- Plus more of our best asparagus recipes for spring
Spinach
Sure, frozen spinach is great and all—but in May, reach for the fresh stuff.
Spinach recipes:
- Spinach salad
- Hot and sweet spinach and artichoke dip
- Spinach and artichoke fondue
- Spinach pesto pasta salad
- Spinach and feta one-pan pie
- Spinach-pesto and artichoke pasta salad
- Plus more spinach recipes to enjoy this spring.
Radishes
Radishes often go overlooked, but no longer. They're super versatile and add a nice crunch to salad—and you can also eat the greens.
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Recipes for radishes:
Green Onions
Recipes for green onions:
- Green goddess egg salad sandwich
- Sweet and sour pineapple chicken
- Pork and tofu cakes
- Green onion flatbread
- Open-face steak sandwiches with green onion salsa
- Green onion biscuits
Peas
While the west coast enjoys fresh peas in spring, the rest of us will have to wait until summer.
Pea recipes:
- Whipped pea and avocado toast with feta
- Modern pea soup
- Chicken cauliflower fried rice
- Lemony mint and pea risotto
- Creamy ham and pea fusilli
Kale
Sure, kale is available year-round at the grocery store, but nothing beats the monster heads available at your local farmer's market.
Kale recipes:
- Garlicky kale
- Mandy's Gourmet Salads Wolfe Salad
- Tempeh burger with kale chips
- Kale Caesar
- Farro, kale and apple salad
- Kale pesto pasta
- Plus more of our best kale recipes for spring
Garlic scapes, ramps and fiddleheads
Garlic scapes (the shoots that grow from a garlic bulb; they have a mild garlicky flavour), ramps (spring onions) and fiddleheads appear in farmers' market for a very short window, so if you see them, get 'em. However, don't mess around with fiddleheads—be sure to cook them properly!
