October Seasonal Produce

Fish – Brill, cod, coley, Dover sole, eels, grey mullet, gurnard, haddock, hake, monkfish, plaice, squid, turbot.

 

Fruit – Apples (cooking, Bramleys, Cox’s Orange Pippins, crab and eating), berries (autumn raspberries, blackberries, cranberries, rowanberries), bullaces, citrus (clementines, kumquats, lemons, Valencia Oranges) damsons, dates, elderberries, figs, kiwi fruit, pears (conference), persimmon, plums, pineapples, pomegranates, quinces, sloes, starfruit, tomatoes (beef, cherry and plum).

 

 

Game – Grouse, guinea fowl, hare, partridge, pheasant, rabbit, teal, venison, woodcock.

 

 

Herbs – Basil, chives, coriander, dill, garlic, Hamburg parsley.

 

 

Meat – Autumn lamb.

 

 

Nuts – Almonds, chestnuts, cobnuts, hazelnuts, pistachios, sweet chestnuts, walnuts.

          

                            

Oily Fish – Herring, mackeral, salmon, sardines, tuna.

 

 

Poultry – Duck, goose.

 

 

Shellfish – Brown crab, clams, crab, lobster, mussels, native oysters.

 

 

Spices – Galangal, ginger.

 

 

Vegetables – Artichokes (globe and Jerusalem), aubergines, beans (flat and runner), beetroot, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbages (celtic, pointed, prima, red, Savoy and white), cauliflower, cardoons, carrots (Chantenay), cauliflower, cavalo nero, celariac, celery, chicory, chilli peppers, Chinese leaves, cress, fennel, galangal, kale, leeks (baby and ordinary), lettuce (lambs and radicchio), mushrooms (black trompette, cep, chantrelle, closed cup, field blewit, girole, oyester, shitake, wild and yellow tip), onions (red, salad, shallots and white), pak choi, parsnips, pea shoots, peppers, potatoes (Cara, Desiree, King Edward, Maris Piper, Shitake and Wilja), radish, salsify, spinach, squashes (acorn, butternut, courgettes, cucumber, marrow, pumpkin and winter), swede, sweetcorn, sweet potatoes, Swiss Chard, watercress, yams, young turnips.

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September Seasonal Produce

Fish – Cod, coley, Dover Sole, gurnard, haddock, halibut, plaice, sea bass, sea bream, sprats, turbot.

 

Fruit –  Apples (Bramley, Discovery and Worcester Pearmain), berries (blackberries, gooseberries, raspberries), figs, grapes, melons, nectarines, oranges, peaches, pears, persimon,  plums (damsons, plums), pomegranates, quinces, raspberries, red currants, star fruit. tomatoes (ordinary and plum).

 

Game – Grouse, guinea fowl, hare, partridge, pheasants, quail, rabbit, teal, venison, wood pigeon.

 

Herbs – Basil, chives, coriander, dill, garlic, mint, parsley, rocket, sorrel.

 

Meat – Autumn lamb.

 

Nuts – Almonds, cobnuts, pistachios, walnuts.

             

Oily Fish – Brown Trout, herring,  mackeral, pilchards, salmon, sardines, tuna.

 

Poultry – Duck, goose, mallard.

 

Shellfish – Clams, crab, crayfish, Morecambe Bay Shrimps, mussels, oysters, scallops.

 

Vegetables – Asparagus peas, aubergine, beans (bobby, borlotti, broad, cannelini, dwarf, French – purple and yellow and runner), beetroot, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, cavalo nero, celeriac, celery, chillies, fennel bulb, garlic, globe artichoke, kale, kohlrabi, lettuce (lambs lettuce), mushrooms (chantrelle and wild), mustard leaves, okra, onions (shallots), pak choi, parsnip, pea shoots, peas, peppers, potaoes (Belle de Fontanay, la Ratte potatoes, maincrop, new, pink fir apple and Roseval), radishes, rhubarb, salsify, samphire, spinach, squashes (courgette, cucumber, marrow, pumpkin), swede, sweet potato, sweetcorn, Swiss chard, turnip, watercress.

 

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Mushroom Relish

Mushroom relish is a fabulous accompaniment to juicy, rich and tender steaks, and a  great way to serve mushrooms to those like me, who love the taste of mushrooms but hate the texture.  A mixture of field (some people call them Portobello) mushrooms (white or brown skinned) and dried porcini mushrooms is my preffered combination.

 

Ingredients

45ml (3 tablespoons) oil

5 finely diced shallots

7.5ml (1 level dessertspoon) soft brown sugar

30ml (2 tablesppons) white wine vinegar

225g (8oz) wiped and diced mushrooms

salt

pepper

 

Method

1 Heat a frying pan.

2 Place 15ml (1 tablespoon) of chosen oil into the pan.

3 Add the diced shallots, allow to sweat for about 10 minutes or until have softened but not started to brown.

4 Sprinkle over the sugar, mix in with a wooden spoon, cook until the shallots become golden and quite sticky (about 3 – 5 minutes).

5 Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly.

6 Heat another frying pan.

7 Place 30ml (2 tablespoons) of chosen oil into the pan.

8 Fry the mushrooms over a high heat until golden (about 2 – 3 minutes).

9 Transfer the shallots into the mushroom mixture.

10 Mix thoroughly with a wooden spoon.

11 Taste for seasoning and adjust.

 

Serve with potatoes and steaks of your choice. 

 

Serves 4

 

Notes

Olive or vegetable oil is perfect.

Instead of white wine vinegar a full bodied white wine can be used.

Any mushrooms or combination of mushrooms can be used as desired.

Do not wash the mushrooms as they will absorb the water and become soggy, instead use a pastry brush to dust off any dirt, or carefully dampen a piece of kitchen paper and gently wipe the mushrooms.

This can be reheated gently in a microwave or in a saucepan over a low heat.

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July Seasonal Produce

Cheeses – Feta, Goats milk cheeses.

 

 

Fish – Cod, halibut, John Dory, monkfish, plaice, scottish squid, sea bass, sea bream, sole (Dover and lemon), turbot, whiting.

 

            

Fresh Water Fish – Pike.

             

 

Fruit – Apricots, berries (blackberries (garden and wild), blueberries, boysenberries, gooseberries, loganberries, raspberries, strawberries, tayberries, tummelberries), cherries, currants (blackcurrants, redcurrants and whitecurrants), figs, grapes, greengages, lime, mangos, melons (Ambrosia, galia, galaxy and watermelons), mirabelles, nectarines, papaya, passion fruit, peaches, pears (Bartlets), plums, tomatoes (baby plum and plum).

 

 

Flowers – Courgette flowers, elderflowers.

 

 

Game – Venison, wood pigeon.

 

 

Herbs – Basil, chives, coriander, dill, fennel, garlic, mint, parsley, sage, thyme.

 

 

Meat – New season lamb.

                  

           

Nuts – Cashews.

              

                      

Oily Fish – Herring, mackeral, pilchards, salmon (farmed and wild), sardines, trout (rainbow and sea), tuna.

 

 

Shellfish – Clams, crab, crayfish, lobster, prawns, scallops, shrimps.

 

 

Vegetables – Artihokes, aubergines, beans (broad, French and runner) beetroot (golden and red), broccoli, cabbage, cape broccoli, carrots, cauliflowers, cavalo nero, celery, chiilies, curly endive, endive, fennel bulb, garlic, globe artichokes, lettuce (butterhead, iceburg, lambs, lollo rosso and oakleaf), mushrooms (oyster), mustard leaves, onions (salad (scallions/spring), shallots), pak choi, peas (mangetout, peas, pea shoots, petite pois, sugar snap peas), peppers, potatoes (main crop, new potatoes), radishes, rhubarb, samphire, sorrel, spinach, spring greens, squashes (courgettes, cucumbers (rigid and smooth), petty pan), sweetcorn, sweet peppers, Swiss chard, watercress.

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Radish Relish

A Peppery relish, ideal for serving with cold and hot meats,  my friend Clair has made this several times for me and kindly gave me the recipe.  Ingredients 12 finely chopped radishes 2 finely chopped shallots 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar 4 tablespoons light olive oil salt black pepper  Method 1 Place all of the relish ingredients together in a mixing bowl. 2 Season with salt and black pepper to taste. 3 Leave overnight in the fridge to improve the flavour.

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February

 

 

Cheeses – Blue Cheshire, blue Wenslydale, farmhouse Cheddar, Stilton.

 

 

Fish – Brill, cod, coley, haddock, hake, halibut, John Dory, lemon sole, pollack, salmon, sardines, tuna, turbot.

 

 

Fruit – Bananas, blood oranges, Bramley apples, eating apples, kiwi fruit, lemons, mandarins, oranges,  passion fruit, pears, pineapple, pink grapefruit, pomegranates, satsumas, Seville oranges, tangerines. 

 

 

 

Game – Guinea Fowl, hare, mallard, partridge, pheasant (finishes on 1st), rabbit, venison.

 

 

Herbs – Alexanders, cleavers.

 

 

Poultry – Goose

 

 

Shellfish – Clams, lobster, mussels, oysters, scallops.

 

 

Vegetables – Beetroot, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celariac, celery, chard, chicory, endive, field blewit mushrooms, forced rhubarb, Jerusalem artichoke, kale, kohlrabi, leeks, lettuce, onions, parsnips, potatoes, purple sprouting broccoli, salsify, Savoy cabbage, seaweed, shallots, spinach, swedes, sweet potato, Swiss chard, turnips, winter greens, winter squashes, yellow leg mushrooms.

 

 

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