Which vegetables are in season

A.� Asparagus arrived in May and really comes into its own during June. This is also the best time to buy spinach, although you have to buy a lot to get a portion. There was a time when you could only get spinach beet in the UK, which with its tough leathery leaves, was a waste of time. Nowadays, real spinach is widely available and is much more versatile, as well as being packed with vitamins and minerals

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Broad beans pop up early in the summer season and top chefs recommend shelling them twice. Remove the actual bean from the greyish green casing and the real bean is a much sweeter and tastier vegetable. Fresh peas also appear in the supermarkets and are definitely worth the effort if you can be bothered to shell them. Broccoli appears towards the end of this month and again, is one of the best vegetables to eat in terms of crunchy texture and nutritional value

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Q. What about courgettes

A.�Tthe courgette season starts now until the end of September. Always choose firm, dark green specimens. Really fresh ones, once cut, will look bright and glistening while oozing a sticky liquid, wheras older ones will just look dull. One of the hottest fads at the moment is for courgette flowers, which if you grow them yourself, can be lightly fried and used as a garnish.

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Q.� Is there a dish you can cook using lots of green vegetables that isn't too heavy for summer

A.� Courgettes cooked in a little extra virgin olive oil and garlic are great as a side dish or with bread for a light summery supper. As this is the month of the green vegetable, you can make light summer soups , warm salads with wilted rocket, fresh peas and sugary broad beans, or try a frittata.

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Frittata is an omelette, which is extremely popular in Italy. In most regions, it tends to be quite thin and served in wedges cold on a warm day. In Friuli, they make them two fingers thick, packed with as many flavours and tastes as popular.

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Summer vegetable frittata

(Serves four)

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3oz/ 85g shelled peas

3oz/ 85g shelled broad beans

4oz/ 115g broccoli florets

1 good-sized courgette cut in half and sliced

3oz/ 85g mangetout, topped and tailed and cut in half

2oz/ 55g spinach leaves, washed and drained

A handful of herbs such as fresh basil, chervil or chives, roughly chopped

8 eggs

Salt and pepper

1 dsp olive oil

2oz/ 55g unsalted butter

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BLANCH all the vegetables, except the spinach, in boiling salted water for about half a minute, until just cooked, but still al dente. Refresh them in cold water and drain well. In a saucepan, melt half of the butter, when sizzling add the spinach and lightly cook. When it is wilted, remove from heat and drain well.

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Whisk the eggs and season with salt and pepper. Add all the vegetables and herbs to the egg mixture and mix in well. Heat the oil in a large, non-stick frying pan, and when hot add remaining butter. Pour in the egg mixture. Cook over a medium heat for a few minutes until the bottom has set and then transfer to a pre-heated oven 190C/ 375F/ gas 5 until set and golden, about 12-15 minutes.

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Once set, serve on a large platter with a green salad. The frittata can be chilled and served in slices for a picnic or lunch box.

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By Katharine MacColl