What an incredibly sunny spring we’ve had so far. Records indicate that the UK has had the driest May since records began. This has posed challenges for farmers and for the landscape as the UK has experienced water scarcity. Until the recent rains the island was very dry, and we saw the unfortunate impact of this with the hillfire last month. So shall we find out what’s in season in June?

Berries are really taking off in June. Delicious strawberries, raspberries, cherries and gooseberries abound at the moment. This recipe for gooseberry crumble is a favourite as the tartness of the gooseberries topped with the sugary crumb is delicious! Feel free to substitute other seasonal fruits to your own tastes. Oats and ground nuts can also be mixed into the crumble top for a different texture.

Other vegetables in season in June include; broad beans, peas, runner beans, mange tout, courgettes, chillies, kale, swiss chard, beetroots, carrots, and radish. This recipe for a broad bean and pea risotto is a real early summer treat. Remember the Zero Waste Cafe stocks risotto rice amongst a large range of dried goods!

In the garden

June is an exciting time in the garden. Some of the seeds sown earlier this year are finally starting to bear fruit. Peas and broad beans are flowering and salad leaves and radishes are ready to pick. There are still plenty of things to sow now, especially quick growing crops such as carrots, beetroot, peas, kohl rabi, lettuce, spinach and radish. Plants started indoors can now be hardened off and transplanted to their final positions outside.

Warm showery weather means weeds germinate and grow quickly. The best way to stop them getting out of control is to carefully pull the weeds out by hand without disturbing the seedlings. Water after weeding to help resettle the soil.The ultimate size vegetables grow is influenced by how close they are to their neighbouring plants. After germination young seedlings need thinning to achieve the correct spacing. Spacing distances can be found on the original seed packet. This is particularly important for vegetables such as beetroot, turnips and carrots that are going to be stored over winter. To store vegetables they need to grow as large as possible before harvest to prevent them dehydrating whilst in storage. Water first thing in the morning whenever possible to ensure plants have adequate moisture throughout the day.

---

Recipes

Gooseberry crumble

Ingredients

For the gooseberry filling:

• 700g (1.5 lb / ~5 cups) gooseberries 
• 5 tbsp granulated sugar
• 60ml (¼ cup) water 

For the crumble topping:

• 150g (⅔ cup) cold unsalted butter
• 150g (¾ cup) granulated sugar
• 250g (2 cups) all-purpose flour

Method

1. Preheat your oven to 200°C (400°F). 
2. Wash and top the gooseberries – snip off the little tufts with kitchen scissors. It’s fiddly, yes, but worth it.
3. Toss gooseberries into a greased 25 x 20 cm (roughly 8-inch) baking dish. Mix with sugar and water directly in the dish. 
4. Make the crumble:
   1. If you’ve got a food processor, pulse flour, sugar, and cold butter until it looks like chunky sand.
   2. Otherwise, use your fingers, a pastry cutter, or even two butter knives. Just don’t overwork it, you want crumbly, not clumpy.
5. Sprinkle the crumble mixture generously over the berries.
6. Bake for about 30 minutes – until the top is golden and you can hear the fruit bubbling. That’s when it’s ready.
7. Let it sit for a few minutes. It will still burn your tongue, but at least you’ll pretend to wait!

https://britishchefstable.com/delia-smith-gooseberry-crumble

---

Broad Bean and Pea Risotto

Ingredients

• Dash vegetable oil
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, finely sliced
• 300g risotto rice
• 200ml dry white wine (optional or add more stock)
• 1 litre vegetable stock, hot 
• 300g fresh shelled or frozen peas, defrosted
• 3 mint sprigs, leaves picked
• Handful spinach (optional)
• 100g broad beans, fresh or frozen (podded weight)
• Finely grated zest 1 lemon, plus a squeeze juice
• 60g unsalted butter, diced
• 30g parmesan or veggie equivalent, finely grated

Method

1. Heat a dash of oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Add the onion and 3 of the sliced garlic cloves and gently cook for 7 minutes until soft and translucent. Tip in the rice, stir for a few minutes, then pour in the wine and cook until all the liquid is absorbed, stirring constantly.
2. Add a ladle or two of hot stock and stir until the liquid has absorbed, then add a ladle more stock. Repeat the process until you’ve used up all the stock and the rice is cooked perfectly, tender but with a little bite. Don’t rush this process and stir often, this releases the starch in the rice, giving your risotto that signature creamy texture.
3. While you cook the risotto, put 200g of the defrosted peas in a blender with the remaining sliced garlic clove, the mint and the spinach (if using). Whizz into a smooth, loose sauce, adding a little water as needed. Taste and season with salt and a squeeze of lemon juice.
4. Once the risotto rice is cooked, stir in the pea sauce, remaining peas, broad beans, lemon zest, butter and parmesan and season with salt and pepper. Cover with a lid and leave to sit for 5 minutes before serving.

https://www.deliciousmagazine.co.uk/recipes/pea-and-broad-bean-risotto

---

About Our What’s in Season Blogs

Our What’s in Season blogs are written by our Sustainable Food Coordinator, Jess. Click here for more information about our Food Strand, including our Zero Waste Cafes.