What’s in season at NC farmers markets in May (plus a recipe for your garden haul)
Sweltering days are coming (some are already here!), and we’ll soon be looking for those cool-down, eat-on-your-back-porch-with-the-fan-on-high meals. A good place to shop for fresh, hydrating foods is the local farmers market.
Here’s what’s in season at local Triangle farmers markets in May. At the end of our list, you’ll find a yummy recipe to prepare some of what you bring home.
Two quick reminders:
Don’t forget to take your reusable bags to the farmers market.
While there, check to see if your farmers market lets you drop off compost. The Carrboro Farmers Market, for example, allows market attendees to bring their food scraps and food-related paper products to the market every Saturday. For more information, visit carrborofarmersmarket.com/compost-program.
For a guide on what you can compost, check out The N&O’s story about composting basics: newsobserver.com/news/local.
And for a guide to Triangle farmers markets, visit: newsobserver.com/living/food-drink.
What’s in season at NC farmers markets in May?
Here’s what’s in season at your local farmers market in May, according to the Got To Be NC Dept. of Agriculture’s “What’s in Season?” chart.
Beets
Blueberries
Bokchoy
Broccoli
Cabbage
Collards
Green peas
Greens
Herbs
Kale
Lettuce
Mushrooms
Mustard greens
Napa
Peanuts
Radishes
Romaine
Snow peas (and snow pea tips)
Spinach
Yellow squash
Strawberries
Sweet potatoes
Turnips
Zucchini
The harvest season for blueberries and yellow squash begins mid-May, and the harvest season for romaine and lettuce ends mid-May, per the “What’s in Season?” chart.
What can I plant in May?
“Basically everything! All warm-weather plants are perfect to plant in May,” Ashley Troth, an NC State Cooperative Extension agent at the Durham County Center, told The N&O in our April Gardening Guide Q&A.
“Shrubs and trees are better for cooler times of year, since they require a lot of water and it’s starting to get hot, so you’ll need to be really on top of their watering if you want to plant those now.
“One of the best things about planting in May is everyone is excited about planting so the nurseries know to get all the things. Aside from shrubs and trees, a lot of things take place in May really well, and you can get almost whatever you want at your local nursery,” Troth said.
Here are some things NC State Extension’s Central NC Planting Calendar says can be planted in May.
(Note: Pay attention to planting instructions, which includes transplanting, starting from seeds indoors, growing in a pot and more.)
Basil
Beans (lima/bush, lima/pole, snap/bush and snap/pole)
Collard greens
Sweet corn
Cucumbers
Eggplant
Kale
Kohlrabi
Leeks
Cantaloupe
Watermelon
Mustard
Okra
Parsnips
Peanuts
Peas (field/southern)
Peppers
Sweet potatoes
Pumpkin
Radishes
Spinach
Squash (summer and winter)
Sunflowers
Tomatoes
Turnips
Where in NC can I pick strawberries?
Great question! So great, our team already wrote a whole guide on it.
It’s strawberry season in North Carolina, so we put together all you need to know about patch locations and U-Pick berry farms in Wake, Orange, Durham and Johnston counties.
Note: North Carolina’s strawberry season usually starts in April, but it can vary by the weather each year brings and by the individual farm. You should check with each farm before you head out, either by calling or checking their website or social media, to get up-to-date hours for the 2022 season.
For the full guide, visit newsobserver.com/news.
A fresh recipe for your May farmers market haul
Mushrooms and beets begin their harvest season in May.
MyRecipes.com has a recipe for roasted beets with mushroom bordelaise (which is a wine-based French sauce). Here’s what you’ll need for two servings:
2 six-ounce beets, scrubbed (recipe recommends golden beets)
2 TBSP unsalted butter
1 cup mushrooms (recipe recommends cremini mushrooms)
1 medium shallot, finely chopped
1 ½ TBSP fresh thyme, chopped
½ cup dry red wine
1 ½ cups vegetable broth (recipe recommends low-sodium vegetable broth)
1 tsp Dijon mustard
Salt and pepper
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Wrap each scrubbed beet in aluminum foil, then roast until tender. This will take about an hour and a half, though it can take an hour and 15 minutes.
After removing beets from the oven, open the foil packets a bit to vent for about 10 minutes. Use a clean towel to rub the peels off of each beet gently. Slice the beets into rounds about ½ inch thick.
Melt a tablespoon of butter over high heat in a skillet. Add mushrooms, your shallot and 1 tablespoon of thyme. Cook for six to eight minutes, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms are browned.
Add wine, and bring to a boil. Cook for about three minutes, until the liquid has almost evaporated. Add broth, then cook for about five or six minutes, until the liquid has reduced by half.
Remove from heat, then stir in mustard, salt, pepper and the remaining butter until it’s melted and incorporated.
Place beet slices on two plates. Evenly distribute the mushroom bordelaise and the remaining ½ tablespoon of thyme.
(Source: myrecipes.com/recipe/roasted-beets-mushroom-bordelaise)
This story was originally published May 1, 2022 at 10:00 AM.
