If there’s one month that makes us fall in love with British produce, it’s May. The days grow brighter, the evenings stretch longer and there’s a bounty of new-season vegetables to enjoy.

Nothing signals the start of the new season quite like British asparagus. Fleeting, precious and utterly worth the wait, it’s harvested for just eight short weeks (so we make no apologies for celebrating it at every opportunity). Steamed simply and finished a drizzle of good extra virgin olive oil, it's a reminder of why eating seasonally is one of life's great pleasures.

Alongside asparagus comes a lineup of the season’s finest: nutty Jersey Royals, sweet early tomatoes, crisp radishes and tender peas fresh from the pod. At this time of year homegrown produce does most of the work for us cooks – all we need to do is treat it with care.