Midsomermonath – the month of midsummer
June marks the start of the summer season. It’s when we first really get to reap the rewards of our spring labours on the vegetable patch. The first significant salad crops can be picked and plump potatoes can be dug, both making ideal accompaniments to some fantastic, light, early-summer dishes.
The soft fruits are catching up, too. Gooseberries are first out of the starting blocks, and it won’t be long before the raspberries and strawberries are putting their juicy little hands up, just begging to be made into summer tarts, smoothies and jams (or maybe to add ‘the healthy bit’ to a glass of Pimm’s).
For seafood fans, if they haven’t already the ever-obliging mackerel will almost certainly arrive on our shores this month, to be found on the fishmonger’s slab alongside more exotic specimens like squid and spider crab.
If you didn’t manage it last month, you’ll definitely be able to have your first barbecue at some point in June, and fishing trips, picnics in the park and long days on the beach should all feature on a list of outdoor activities that’s longer than a prize cucumber.
Now, in Spain they say, ‘No vendas la piel del oso antes de cazarlo’ (Don’t sell the bear’s fur before you hunt it) and our equivalent is, obviously, ‘Don’t count your chickens before they hatch.’ Both are worth bearing in mind this month, as June weather can occasionally be a bit of a let-down.
However, there should probably be another saying along the lines of ‘What’s bad for the garden party is good for the allotment’ (I’ve no idea what that is in Spanish). If we do get a lot of rain and warmth at this time of year, take heart – it will make for a bumper, fruit-filled autumn.