Menu Planning for May 2019

If you’re planning a menu for May, there are a few holidays to consider and many fresh fruits and vegetables making their entrance for the summer.

Plan for May:
Full Moon on May 18th is called the Flower Moon.
May is National BBQ, Egg, Strawberry and Salad Month!!

Plan Ahead for June:
Full Moon on June 17th, called the Strawberry Moon because it indicated when the berries were ready for harvest (called the Rose Moon in Europe where strawberries were not indigenous).
June is National Dairy Month, Get Outdoors Month and National Fruit and Vegetable Month!

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Mid-month, wild strawberries(frais de bois) start becoming available, depending on the heat. Purchase wild strawberries from your local farmer’s market or strawberry stand because they are too delicate to ship – the aroma from frais de bois seems almost manufactured in it’s strength and perfume. There is a commercial hybrid called Mare de Bois that is an adequate substitute and a bit more durable. Crystallized flowers are another plate freshener and they are becoming readily available from wholesale suppliers. Mother’s Day is a great time to decorate with any edible flowers!

Mother’s day is mid-month this year – on Sunday, May 12th. Remember that this is the busiest restaurant day of the year so a weekend of specials may be advantageous to guarantee a book full of reservations.

May availability becomes a bit more predictable towards the end of the month as the weather mellows and crops take hold of their landscapes. Ramps, fiddleheads and other harbingers of spring fade by mid – May to make room for stonefruit, their decline may be a little later this year – because of the late spring. Apricots and the first of the good Peaches will come in at the end of the month and provide a great treat to herald in June!

Plan on cherries, the first of the domestic stonefruit, to be best between Mother’s Day and Father’s Day (these holidays are a great way to remember the fresh cherry season in California). Most of the other commonly thought of drupes begin at the end of this month: apricots, plums, peaches, nectarines, pluots, apriums and almonds.

Growing regions beyond California may start their cherry harvest a bit later to carry the sugar through the early part of the summer. The early cherries are the Burlatt, followed by the Bings in June, with Brooks in the middle; there are other lesser known varieties, but these are the most commonly seen fruit on the commercial market.

Lychee and Mangosteen are two international fruits that become more available in May and they are delicious bursts of tropical flavor. Late citrus should be available through almost the end of June: Meyer lemons, tangelos, sanguinello bloods and mandarins. Think of mixing some delicious late harvest citrus with some beautiful spring greens, baby roasted beets and some beautiful candied nuts and pansies.

All the flowering herbs are in full swing from mid-May through June – Sage, thyme and chive blossoms are beautiful additions to salads and tabletops. Lemon verbena makes a killer simple syrup for cocktails.

Remember that the items in BOLD will prove to usually be better values as they are in their peak harvest or storage period.