British seasonal food « Penny Golightly

Seasonal foods in March

March 1st, 2010 by Penny Golightly

Seasonal food in March is pretty strange – there isn’t a lot of it, for a start. Much of March is traditionally known as the ‘hungry gap’, where stored foods are running out, most overwintering veggies are past their best, and the first Spring crops won’t be ready for a few more weeks.

Things are improving in the UK as growers extend growing seasons with polytunnels, coldframes and greenhouses, and try out new varieties of plants. Keep an eye out for any of the fresh homegrown foods you can get hold of, including:

Fruit: early/forced rhubarb, apples and pears from store.

Vegetables: asian greens, cabbage (green), chicory, endive, kale, leeks, nettle tops, parsley, parsnips, purple sprouting broccoli, sea kale, sorrel, spring greens, spring onions, swedes, wild garlic, winter varieties of lettuce.

Fish and shellfish: bass, brown crab, clams, cockles, pollack, young mackerel, mussels, rock oysters, sardines, scallops, sea trout, wild salmon.

Meat, poultry and game: not the top season for any meats in particular.

Cheeses: Cotherstone, Stilton. Comté, Roquefort.

I think I’ll be cooking up some bashed neeps (swedes) and wilted curly kale to serve with burgers or sausages, some noodle soup with Asian greens and shellfish, and some sprouting broccoli baked with eggs and garlic.

What are you going to cook? Do you have any favourite recipes?

Tags: British garden kitchen, British seasonal food, cheap fruit and veg, in season in March, March fruit and vegetables, UK food in season, UK seasonal food, vegetables in season
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Seasonal foods in February

February 22nd, 2010 by Penny Golightly

Here’s the shortish list of UK foods that are in season during February, plus a few special imports. As ever, if there’s a glut of anything then you should be able to haggle a bit and buy it cheaper at the market. Failing that, it might turn up in the supermarkets’ special offers sections.

So, without further ado, here’s what’s best (and mostly local) in February. I’ll be picking up my wicker shopping basket and wandering out to purchase some of the following…

Fruit: apples from store, early forced rhubarb.

Vegetables: Asian greens, cabbage (white and green), celeriac, chicory, endive, Jerusalem artichokes, kale, leeks, parsnips, salsify and scorzonera, spring onions, the last sprouts and sprout tops, swedes, turnips.

Fish and shellfish: brown crab, clams, cockles, cod, dab, hake, halibut, lemon sole and other flat fish (plaice, sole), mackerel, mussels, rock oyster, scallops, wild salmon.

Meat, poultry and game: hare.

Cheeses: Blue Cheshire, Cotherstone, Farmhouse Cheddar, Stilton, Blue Wensleydale. Bleu des Causses, Brie de Meaux, Tomme Arlesienne.

This week’s menu at Bistro Golightly will probably include chilli crab cakes with stir-fried greens, a leek and blue cheese bake, and some kind of casserole with kale on the side.

What are you going to cook?

Tags: British seasonal food, cheap ingredients in February, in season in February, seasonal fruit and veg, UK seasonal ingredients
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Seasonal foods in January

January 13th, 2010 by Penny Golightly

For maximum savings, get down to your local market and buy up any fruit or vegetables where there’s been a glut – stallholders might be happy to let you barter them down, especially for a bulk buy. To avoid getting bored, cook some and freeze the rest for later.

Anyone wishing to shed that light layer of winter podge could also treat themselves to an interesting stir-fry, some home made winter coleslaw, or a batch of chunky root vegetable soup.

Fruit: apples and pears from store, forced rhubarb, last few seasonal nuts. Imported Seville oranges.

Vegetables: Asian greens, brussels sprouts and tops, cabbage (red, white, green), cardoons, celeriac, chicory, endive, Jerusalem artichokes, kale, leeks, parsnips, salsify and scorzonera, swedes, turnips.

Fish and shellfish: brill, brown crab, clams, cockles, cod, flounder, haddock, halibut, herring, mackerel, mussels, rock oysters, scallops, whiting. As ever, you may wish to avoid anything that’s been overfished.

Meat, poultry and game: partridge, pheasant, wild duck, woodcock.

Cheeses: Stilton, Blue Wensleydale, Appleby and other Cheshire cheeses, Lancashire cheeses, Bonchester, Sharpham. Bresse Bleu, Cantal, Pont L’Eveque, Roquefort.

Haven’t been able to get hold of any forced rhubarb yet, but when I do it’s destined for a rhubarb and stem ginger fool or a lazy crumble. A seafood stew with lots of mussels might be in order too.

What are you going to cook?

Tags: British seasonal food, food in season in January, January seasonal food, seasonal food in the UK
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Seasonal foods in December

December 2nd, 2009 by Penny Golightly

It’s the festive season, so help yourself to what’s fresh and plentiful right now.

Fruit & nuts: almonds, apples, hazelnuts, pears from store, walnuts. Imported chestnuts, clementines, cranberries, dates, pineapples, pomegranates, satsumas.

Vegetables: asian greens, brussels sprouts and sprout tops, cardoons, celeriac, chicory, endive, Jerusalem artichokes, kale, leeks, parsnips, salsify and scorzonera, winter squash, red cabbage, seaweed, spring onions, swedes, turnips, white celery.

sprouts

Fish and shellfish: brown hen crab, carp, conger eel, Dover sole, mackerel, mussels, native and rock oysters, sea bass, skate, turbot, whiting. You may wish to avoid anything that’s been overfished, such as skate.

Meat, poultry and game: goose, grouse, wild duck, partridge, pheasant, turkey, woodcock.

Cheeses: Stilton, Blue Wensleydale. Brie de Melun, Vacherin Mont d’Or.

Time to hit the market then… What are you going to cook?

Tags: British seasonal food, cheap Christmas food, December seasonal food, foods in season at Christmas, seasonal food in December, seasonal fruit and veg, seasonal meat
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Seasonal foods in November

November 21st, 2009 by Penny Golightly

OK, I missed out October. Bad Penny. But I’m back in Blighty now and cooking up a storm with some seasonal food.

It’s fresh, it’s tasty, and there’s a lot of it. Most of the veggies you can grow yourself if you have some outside space and green fingers, you might be able to forage some of the other ingredients for free, and what turns up at market often arrives in bulk so market forces keep the prices low.

Unlike other guides, I’ve separated the UK-produced foods out from the imported goods in case some of you want to ‘buy local’ or avoid premium prices. The rarer or imported items are more of a treat, if you have a larger budget.

If you’re a game fan, November is the month for you, and it’s also the season for plenty of fish and shellfish as the water around our islands gets colder. It’s a good time for fans of nuts and exotic fruits too, so there’s something for everyone as a festive tinge creeps in.

So, on with the show… the mouth-watering seasonal foods you can find in November:

Fruit: almonds, apples, cranberries, hazelnuts, medlars, pears, plums, quinces, walnuts. Imported brazil nuts, chestnuts, clementines, dates, pineapples, pomegranates, satsumas.

satsumas

Vegetables: asian greens, broccoli, brussels sprouts and tops, cabbage (red and green), cardoons, celeriac, celery, chicory, Jerusalem artichoke, kale, kohlrabi, leeks, parsnips, pumpkins and squashes, rocket, salsify and scorzonera, seaweed, spinach, spring onions, swedes, turnips, wild mushrooms.

mixedveg

Fish and shellfish: brown hen crab, brown shrimp, cod, halibut, herring, lobster, mackerel, mussels, native and rock oysters, sea bass, sea bream, sole, sprats, squid, whiting.

Meat, poultry and game: goose, grouse, wild duck, partridge, pheasant, traditional varieties of pork, woodcock.

gamesign3

Cheeses: Ribblesdale. Saint-Nectaire, Vacherin Mont d’Or.

bigvacherin

Mmmmm Vacherin. Time to visit the cheesemonger and break out the crackers. It could also be time to make a casseorole of some sort with all those lovely winter root veggies arriving at the market. Think I’ll go up to the only cheap fruit and veg stall at Borough Market around closing time and see if they’ll do me a deal on a job lot…

What are you going to cook?

Tags: British seasonal food, cheap fruit and vegetables in November, chestnuts, festive seasonal foods, game season, imported fruit, kitchen garden, November ingredients, root vegetables in season, shellfish season, UK seasonal food
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Seasonal foods in September

September 4th, 2009 by Penny Golightly

September foods are gorgeous, with the end of all the summer goodies, plus the start of everything that does better in the cooler weather. It’s a very good month for fans of seafood and game.

What’s in season in September?

Fruit: apples, bilberries, blackberries, blueberries, damsons, elderberries, figs, grapes, greengages, juniper berries, Kentish cobnuts, loganberries, pears, plums, raspberries, sloes. Imported melons, nectarines, peaches.

Vegetables: all salad leaves, asian greens, aubergines, broccoli, celery, chillies, chives, courgettes, cucumbers, fennel, globe artichokes, green beans, green and red cabbage, horseradish, kale, kohlrabi, leeks, marrows, peppers, pumpkins and squashes, radishes, red onions, rocket, salsify and scorzonera, samphire, sorrel, spinach, spring onions, swedes, sweetcorn, summer squash, tomatoes, watercress, wild mushrooms (ceps, chanterelles, oyster, puffball, shaggy ink cap and more).

Fish and shellfish: black bream, brown and rainbow trout, brown hen crabs, brown shrimp, clams, Dover sole, eels, lobster, mussels, native oysters, pilchards, plaice, prawns, scallops, sea bass, signal crayfish, skate, sprats, squid, turbot.

Meat, poultry and game: Michaelmas goose, Autumn lamb, grouse, partridge, venison at its best, wild duck.

Cheeses: Double Gloucester, Farmhouse Cheshire. Brie de Meaux.

What are you going to cook?

I feel an apple and blackberry crumble coming on, and maybe some spicy crab cakes.

Tags: British garden kitchen, British seasonal food, game season, mushroom season, seafood season, seasonal food, September fruit and vegetables, UK food in season
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Seasonal foods for August

August 10th, 2009 by Penny Golightly

If it’s in season, it’s at its best, and August has to be one of the best months in the food calendar for sheer variety. Most of the time these ingredients are cheaper too due to their abundance, especially if you’re buying fruit and veg at the market or the greengrocer.

What’s in season for August?

Fruit: apricots, bilberries, blackberries, blueberries, cherries, currants (black, red, white), early apples, early damsons, figs, greengages, gooseberries, loganberries, peaches, plums, raspberries, strawberries and wild strawberries. Imported melons, nectarines.

Vegetables: aubergines, basil, broad beans, broccoli and calabrese, celery, chives, courgettes, cucumbers, fennel, globe artichokes, green beans, horseradish, kohlrabi, lamb’s lettuce, lettuce, mushrooms (ceps, chanterelles, field, oyster, porcini, puffball, shaggy ink cap), new potatoes, peas, peppers, radishes, rocket, samphire, sorrel, spinach, spring onions, summer squash, sweetcorn, tarragon, tomatoes, watercress.

Fish and shellfish: black bream, brown and rainbow trout, brown crab, crayfish, Dover sole, haddock, herring, john dory, lobster, pilchards, pollack, prawns, red and grey mullet, salmon, sea bass, squid.

Meat, poultry and game: grouse from the 12^th, hare at its best.

Cheeses: Farmhouse Cheddar, British goats’ cheese. Chaource, Charolles, Valencay.

While I’d like a fancy Dover sole dinner more than anything right now, I think it’d be more realistic to settle for some blueberries and cherries (is it my imagination or is there a glut of them this year?), or maybe some roasted squash soup or risotto.

What are you going to cook?

Tags: British seasonal food, cheap fruit and veg, cheap groceries, fish in season, foraging, fruits in season, game season, glorious twelfth, imported fruit, ingredients in season, mushroom season, ripe cheese, seasonal food, seasonal foods for August, summer fruits, summer salad, UK seasonal food, vegetables in season, wild food
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