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June

Grey mullet

Grey mullet is often underrated, passed over in favour of the red mullet (to which it's not related). It's available all year round but is at its best between June and August. This round fish has a firm, rather than flaky, texture and it's oily, which makes it moist and perfect to barbecue, steam, bake or roast. Always sold whole, it's good baked, stuffed with fennel, mushrooms and garlic and doused in olive oil, or with other strongly flavoured herbs, such as rosemary and thyme.

Gooseberries

Early small, green gooseberries tend to make the best pies, fools, preserves and chutneys. There are many varieties and these can be hairy or smooth and golden, yellow or pink-red. When fully ripe, the dessert varieties can be eaten raw but it's the immature fruit, which always need to be sweetened, that makes the most versatile ingredient. Cooked, topped and tailed, with sugar added, a gooseberry purée is a traditional accompaniment to mackerel but can be eaten with roast pork and other rich meats. The high pectin content makes the fruit ideal for jam-making. Adding elderflowers to gooseberry recipes, especially pies, tarts and crumbles, will give a subtle, sweet scent.

Tayberries

Developed in Scotland, the tayberry is a hybrid of the blackberry and the raspberry. It's a large berry, long and conical in shape and deep reddish-purple, with the flavour and scent of the blackberry. Tayberries can be a little tart, but use them as you would blackberries and raspberries, in cooked and uncooked desserts such as summer pudding, pies, ice cream, sorbet, or in fruit sauces, jams and jellies.

Courgettes

Courgettes are baby marrows. The home-grown variety is available from June to October. They are usually green but can also be yellow. Courgettes need very little preparation or cooking; if they're finger-sized they can be left whole and steamed or pan-fried in a little butter. Eat them raw, whole or halved lengthways, tossed in a little olive oil, lemon juice and sea salt. As courgettes get larger, the flavour depletes and they benefit from additional flavours, such as garlic, basil, parsley, tomatoes and olive oil. Add courgettes to set omelettes, such as frittata, or to risotto and ratatouille, or slice thinly, dip in batter and deep fry them.

Broad beans

Broad beans are at their best from the end of May through to mid-July, when the pods are pale green and soft and the beans are still small. The whole young pod can be cooked and eaten, or the beans can be removed from the pod and cooked. Only brief steaming or cooking is required when broad beans are in their prime but, as the season progresses, the pods get bigger and tougher and then the beans are encased in a thick outer skin. The unappetising skins need to be removed, a long and laborious job, and the beans should go into the pot straightaway. Once cooked, coat in butter and sprinkle with chopped summer savoury or tarragon and serve as an accompaniment to roast lamb or boiled gammon.

Whats in season information taken from the BBC food website.