Seasonal foods in January

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?