March, What’s in Season This Month

In March, the weather starts to warm up (or so it should be doing), the time from now until about the middle of May is a tricky one for the shopper, grower, and greengrocer, winter vegetables are fading out whereas the spring veggies haven’t so far really got under way, however there is plenty of purple sprouting broccoli around so make use of it. The commencement of the purple sprouting broccoli season heralds a much wanted addition to the winter vegetable enjoyment.

Merely steamed or boiled, this lively cousin of broccoli can be used in the same way it is leafier and deeper in colour than Calabrese; it always adds vitality and crunch to vegetable dishes and it goes well with almost any fish or meat dish. Broccoli is a cruciferous plant, from the same genus as the cabbage, and is associated to the cauliflower; cruciferous foods are nowadays hailed as having a number of significant health benefits. Purple Sprouting Broccoli contains the phytochemical sulphoraphane, which is thought to help prevent cancer. Furthermore it could provide resistance against heart disease, osteoporosis, and diabetes. It is packed with vitamin C and is a good source of caretenoids, iron, folic acid, calcium, fibre, and vitamin A.

Did I mention that it tastes great just simply steamed and served with melted butter and a squeeze of lemon juice?

As with the British asparagus season, the Jersey Royals season and the first of the British Artichokes we always look forward to the first of the purple sprouting broccoli, in our opinion events like these are what makes British seasonal produce the finest in the world.

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Even so we are seeing more and more spring vegetables in the markets and some supermarkets earlier than in the past (Climate Change?), so with excited expectation our thoughts are turning to lighter dishes as we see Chicory, Chives, Mint, Parsley, Radishes, Rosemary, Sorrel, Spring Greens, Thyme, and Watercress coming into their season, and Cornish Spring greens are also becoming more plentiful and are very tasty jam packed full of flavour and very sweet, the two biggest enemies of cabbage are water and overcooking, the one thing you don’t want to do is boil it to death in a large saucepan of water. Simply remove any damaged outer leaves, cut it in quarters, removing the tough white ‘core’ in the middle, and slice it finely then you can either stir-fry it in a wok with oil, a little water and soy sauce or tip it into a saucepan with about 3 cm boiling water and cook it fast for about 3 minutes, turning it over as you go. Drain it thoroughly, add a good chunk of butter, and season with salt and plenty of freshly ground black pepper. A small to medium size cabbage will easily serve four persons.

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In the spring month of March (yes it’s a spring month), Saint David’s day proclaims the month of March, and with St Patrick's Day on the 17th, now is the time to think what we can be doing with all those tasty expected spring veggies, Lincolnshire starts to harvest carrots, beetroot, purple sprouting broccoli and calabrese broccoli as do other regions of Britain, so make the most from the first bloom.

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New season's artichokes from Italy, Cyprus, and Egypt are making their first appearance on the shelves, together with the first of the tomatoes with taste from Sicily and the black volcanic soil of Tenerife and Fuerteventura. Fast on their heels will be new potatoes from around the Mediterranean, asparagus from the Murcia and Valencia provinces in Spain, and strawberries from Huelva in Andalucia.

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Leeks are good in early spring, and we like to use them, not only as vegetables to go together with poultry, meat and fish, but in soups, salads and tarts for first courses we like to lightly braise baby leeks as a lovely light side dish.

Don’t be afraid to buy them loose and covered with dirt the taste is much better than ones that have been washed and pre-packed.

Just cut off the top half of the green leaves and remove the root and any damaged outer leaves, cut vertically down the leek almost to the base and wash thoroughly between the leaves with cold running water slice the leeks thickly and wash again then cook in a little butter and oil. They also make superb soups and we think they are very good in egg and cheese dishes.

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Tasty tender spring carrots, you can get a good sized carrot enough to make a salad for under 15p which makes it a brilliant student buy. Even organic ones which generally have much more flavour are affordable. Use them raw and freshly grated or just slice them, toss them in a pan with a little oil and melted butter, season them with salt, pepper and a pinch of ground cumin or coriander, add a couple of tablespoons of water, cover the pan with a lid or a piece of foil and let them cook very slowly in their own juices for about 20 minutes. They also make great soup and are a must for casseroles stews and stir-fries

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The one (and only) awful feature about the appearance of spring is that our beloved native mussels are off the seasonal menu until September we still have the rope grown imported mussels but they are not quite the same so, fill up on these juicy morsels while you can native oysters are now becoming more difficult to find and will soon be out of season however the pacific or rock oyster will always be a good substitute (just about) as they offer smaller portions with a more subtle taste.

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Fish And Shellfish At Their Best This Month Are:

Brill, Clams, Cockles, Cod, Conger Eel, Crab, Dabs, Dover Sole, Eel, Elvers, Haddock, Halibut, Hake, John Dory, Langoustine, Lemon Sole, Lobster, Mackerel, Monkfish, Plaice, Pollack, Scottish Wild Salmon is back in season, Sardines, Scallops, Sea Bream, Sea Trout, Skate, Squid, Turbot, Whitebait, and Winkles.

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Vegetables At Their Best This Month Are:

Beetroot, Brussels Sprouts, Carrots, Cauliflower, Celeriac, Celery, Chicory, Horseradish, Jerusalem Artichoke, Kale, Kohlrabi, Leeks, Onions, Parsnips, Potatoes (new), Purple Sprouting Broccoli, Radishes, Rhubarb, Rocket, Salsify, Shallots, Spinach, Spring Greens, Swede and Turnips.

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Fruit At Their Best This Month Are:

Apples, Forced Rhubarb, Pears

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Meat, Poultry, and Game This Month;

Beef, Chicken, Duck, and Pork are all very good and we are eagerly waiting for the first of British Spring Lamb, make the most of Rabbit this month wild rabbit meat, which is leaner and tastier than the farmed kind, has a wonderful delicate, gamey taste, very different from splendidly flavoured hare. Local Rabbit dishes reveal the fact that rabbit is very flexible and works well with those flavours used in chicken dishes, such as mustard and cream, tomato and herbs, and believe it or not chilli, I have had some superb rabbit dishes in Mexico, Turkey, Venison and Wood Pigeon are still good.

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The Latest Grocery News for March 2011

Bringing you the hottest news on products in the high street, markets, corner stores, supermarkets and other major items of interest about British food; here is our analysis of what we think is of interest.

Following on from channel 4’s fish fight campaign sales of sustainable fish species such as Atlantic Pollock or Coley have risen. Sainsbury's say sales of Pollack have jumped 167 per cent and Waitrose state an increase of 163 per cent on Dover sole. The campaign has even encouraged Waitrose to start new fish selections like Sprats and Welsh flounder.

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Asda and Tesco's have been criticised for rejecting home produced pork and chicken in support of cheap imports. An NFU Scotland investigation found that Practically all' Asda's bacon is imported, as are their gammon and bacon joints, while its value range of pork chops is a mix of French and German. A recent 3 for £10 offer in Tesco was on Dutch chicken and pork and no British bacon appeared to be had. In contrast Morrisons was found to continue to demonstrate a substantial allegiance to Scottish and British produce.

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Sainsbury's is gearing up for a major push on regional foods. New signage, such as local images and claims about the products and number of farms involved, has been rolled out to stores in Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales this month, with plans for Devon and Cornwall to follow in the next few months. Sainsbury's currently sells about 3,000 regional lines.

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Tesco has started a new website about the local foods it sells in an attempt to boost online sales of locally sourced products. The site will display all Tesco’s suppliers within 50 miles of your nearest store and gives you the choice to change this to either 30 or 100 miles. The site what's more permits you to propose a supplier as well as letting producers put themselves forward as probable suppliers. Click here to visit the site.

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A group of 40 Yorkshire based farmers are launching the first ever regional frozen pea brand, Yorkshire Peas

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Blueberries have overtaken raspberries as the UK's second favourite fresh berry. Strawberries remain the UK's best-selling fresh berries, but shoppers bought 11.4 per cent more blueberries last year than previous while volume sales of raspberries fell 12.9 per cent.

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The British Beekeeper's Association fear we may lose all our bees within a decade if we are not careful. Honey bees are essential for the pollination of nuts and berries and play varying roles in pollinating apples, onions, broccoli, cabbage, sprouts, courgettes, peppers, aubergines, cucumbers, tomatoes, and broad beans.

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US cereal maker Kellogg has said that it will support the development of sustainable palm oil by purchasing GreenPalm certificates to offset all of its palm oil use.

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Last but not least elevated worldwide wheat costs are a massive expenditure for farmers using wheat-based grain to feed their animals. If the meats on the shelves are a few pennies more please don't be tempted to switch to a low-priced imported substitute. Join in supporting our farming industry and buy British!

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Seasonal foods at their best to look out for in the supermarkets this month:

Vegetables: Beetroot, Brussels Sprouts, Carrots, Cauliflower, Celeriac, Celery, Chicory, Horseradish, Jerusalem Artichoke, Kale, Kohlrabi, Leeks, Onions, Parsnips, Potatoes (Maincrop), Purple Sprouting Broccoli, Radishes, Rhubarb, Rocket, Salsify, Shallots, Spinach, Swede and Turnips

Fruit: Apples and Pears

Herbs: Chives, Coriander, Mushrooms (Cultivated), and Parsley (Curly)

Meat: Beef, Chicken, Guinea Fowl, Hare, Mallard, Partridge, Pork, Rabbit, Turkey, Venison, and Wood Pigeon

Fish: Brill, Clams, Cockles, Conger Eel, Crab, Dab, Dover Sole, Eel, Haddock, Halibut, Hake, John Dory, Langoustine, Lemon Sole, Lobster, Mackerel, Mussels, Oysters, Salmon, Scallops, Shrimp, Skate, Turbot, Whitebait and Winkles

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Dates for Your Diary:

Spring 2011 - Pimlico Food Festival at Tachbrook Street Market

23rd April to 21st June 2011 - British Asparagus Festival, The town of Evesham is launching the world’s, first-ever Asparapancake Race as a prelude to the British Asparagus Festival which runs from 23rd April to 21st June. Evesham will host the race at 11am on Shrove Tuesday and participants, including Gus the Asparagus Man, will all be sporting green in tribute to this special vegetable. Local celebrity chef, Felice Tocchini, will be cooking up the pancakes for the race which will incorporate – you’ve guessed it - asparagus.

12 - 13 March, World of Women Festival, Southbank centre, London

Listen to Fatima Ali and Harriet Boatemaa, two cocoa farmers from Kuapa Kokoo co-operative in Ghana (which owns Divine Chocolate); speak at the World of Women Festival (WOW) at the Southbank Centre in London. Fatima Ali at 29 is the youngest person ever to be voted onto Kuapa Kokoo’s National Executive, while Harriet Boatemaa, at 27, has aspirations to be the co-operative President so she can inspire other young people to stay in villages and farm rather than migrate to the city in search of non-existent jobs.

18 – 27 March, Dine on Deeside, towns and village across Deeside.

This is a new foodie event which celebrates passion for regional cuisine. Royal Deeside and the Cairngorms produce is some of the finest quality in the UK and chefs from towns and villages across this beautiful area (including Ballater, Braemar, Banchory and Aboyne) will be serving up seasonal spring menus of everything from rustic bistro to fine dining. Special menus in cafes, restaurants, hotels, and bars will be on offer in price bands – - up to £10; £11 to £20; £21 to £30 and over £30

18 – 20 March, Cheese and Wine Festival, the Southbank Centre, London

This gastronomic delight of an event is now in its third year and is going from strength to strength. The weekend will host a whole array of cheese and wine specialists giving talks and demonstrations including Patricia Michelson founder of La Fromagerie, the Guardian’s wine writer Fiona Beckett, French Chef and Baker Richard Bertinet, renowned restaurateurs’ such as Henry Harris from Racine, Luisa Welch and John Quilter; and specialist premium suppliers such as Vintage Roots, Casa Leal and Auswineonline. Don’t miss it!

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Local Shopping

Tachbrook Street Market Address: Tachbrook Street, SW1

Trading hours: Monday to Saturday: 8am to 6pm

Nearest tube: Victoria or Pimlico

Bus: 2, 24, 36, 185, 436

Open every day except Sunday, the number of stalls in this ancient street market increases as the week moves forwards, the market offers a wide array of goods from home furnishings and gardening equipment, to fruit and veg, fresh meat, fish, shellfish and bread and cakes, the market is home to an array of events counting late night shopping, gourmet lunchtime offers, ‘Fashion Thursdays’.

Managed by Westminster Artisans Ltd on behalf of Westminster Council it is set to be a community hub thanks to its lively diverse array of stalls with scrumptious international hot food the paella is superb, fresh food, chocolate, cheese, olive oil, bread, funky fashion, and lots more. Discover different stalls on different days.

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On Sonny’s Stall on Tachbrook Street Market

Sonny’s stall this week again was a picture it is great to see such fresh produce full of lively colours, especially the Rhubarb it really looked vibrant and cooked up a treat when we made one of our favourite puddings so what else was on offer?

Well there were Apples English Braeburns and Bramleys, Artichokes, Beets, English Broccoli, Butternut Squash, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Courgettes, English King Edward Potatoes, Fennel, Field Mushrooms, Leeks, Mache (Lambs Lettuce), Parsnips, Purple Sprouting Broccoli, Radish, Watercress, you can plainly see that all of what was available was in first-rate condition.

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Our Local Butchers have been getting in

Beef, lamb, and pork is good this month and our local butcher Freemans has some ox-tails and beef brisket in that is just so tasty his fore-rib of beef looked just about perfectly hung and at under £14 per kilo is probably the cheapest in London you really must give the classically trained butcher a go and just to see a real traditional butcher shop is a treat.

His special offer this week was corn-fed chicken leg portions at half price and very tasty they were too.

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Our Local Fishmonger Jon Norris on Tachbrook Street Market

Once again Jon has brought to market a fantastic array of fish and shellfish including some plump tasty razor clams (see below)

Every time we go to his stall we see more and more people queuing up for his wares and this week was no exception especially as he had plainly been taking advantage of all that fishing in British waters can produce.

He put on good show as usual with Cornish Brill, Clams including Razor Clams, Cod fillets, Cod steaks, Crab, Haddock, Cornish Hake, Halibut, John Dory, Lemon Sole, Megrim Sole, Dover Sole, Gilthead Bream, Cornish Gurnard, grey Mullet, Lobster, Scottish Mackerel, rope grown Mussels from the Shetland Isles, Monkfish, Cornish Octopus, there was Plaice from Scotland so plump and sweet, Prawns in the shell, there were Native Oysters, Rock Oysters, Scallops from the Isle of Man, wild Sea Bass, Skate, Sprats, Squid, Turbot, and Cornish Whiting.

And remember almost all Jon’s fish is sourced from around the Cornish, Devon and Scottish coasts and his prices are so reasonable you have got to give this gifted and extraordinary fishmonger a try, you won’t be sorry, I promise.

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Razor Clams

For the most part people couldn’t describe a razor clam, as they can be tricky to find, but like the name suggests they are shaped like an old-fashioned cut-throat razor and when we were small and went to Wales on holiday I can remember my father warning us to be careful not to cut ourselves on the razor sharp shells of this strange looking creature.

This extraordinary mollusc lives nestled in the sand and is collected by hand. The razor clam can reach 25 cm (10 inches) in length and is usually six times longer than it is wide, the Atlantic razor clam is sharp enough to cut skin, while other variety have an oval shape.

They are extremely easy to cook and have a superbly rich flavour the only way I can describe it is as a fusion of cockles and scallops that’s sweet and salty all at once, which means with a little seasoning of some lemon juice and maybe a splash of Tabasco they are simply superb.

Buying, Most likely to be found January and early summer, I mainly see them on the stall of my local fishmonger Jon Norris and the one place I see them all year round although infrequently is in oriental supermarkets.

They will usually be sold in bunches of half a dozen or so, and must be alive, this is easy to check Many of the clams will have extended themselves beyond the reach of their shells and will retract when picked up and they should smell of the seaside but not be pungently fishy.

Storing, It is always best to use bivalves the day you purchase them but if you need to keep them, wrap razor clams in a damp tea towel and leave them in the fridge. It is an error to soak all clams and cockles overnight as you can drown them.
Preparing and Cooking, It's best to give them a quick wash first under cold running water then lay them on a baking or roasting tray and give them a very quick go under a hot grill for a minute or so This should jolt open the shells as soon as they open remove them from under the grill.

As soon as they are cool enough to handle, take out the long, white, meaty clam. The digger (the dark bit at one end) needs to be cut off, as it is always gritty. You might also slice the clam open lengthways to check for sand.

Once they are clean, the clams can to go back under the grill, back in their shells and with another two minutes of cooking and they should be ready.

• As I said before, razor clams love a simple seasoning a classic recipe, popular in France and Spain, is to serve them plainly grilled, in the shells, with sizzling garlic butter spooned over at the last minute.
• Salsa Verde or Aioli set off all clams beautifully.
• If you don’t feel like grilling the clams, try steaming them open in a covered pan just add a bunch of razors, a tablespoon of olive oil and about half a glass of dry white wine or cider for tender clams in a mariniere style sauce within two minutes.
• Cooking in water seasoned with salt and pepper takes about 10 minutes for 30 or so razor clams (enough for 2 people).
• Cook in boiling water, and then finish in a frying pan with cream, garlic, and chives and serve with tagliatelle or rice.

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Jon’s tips to buying fish and shellfish;

Fresh Whole Fish

1. The eyes should be clear and convex, not sunken
2. The flesh should be firm and resilient to finger pressure
3. The fish should smell freshly and lightly of the sea
4. Don’t buy fish with a strong ‘fishy’ or sulphurous odour, or that smells of ammonia.
5. Oily fish like herring, mackerel, and salmon should have a light, fresh oil smell, like linseed oil. If they smell of rancid oil, don’t buy.

Fresh Fillets

1. The surface of the fillet should be moist, with no signs of discolouration.
2. The texture should be firm, with no mushiness. Some separation of the muscle flakes (caused by the filleting process) is completely normal, but it shouldn’t be excessive.
3. As with whole fish, the smell should be fresh and light, with no ‘off’ odours.
4. Live bi-valves (including mussels, clams and oysters)
5. The general rule of not buying bi-valves during any month spelled without an ‘r’ (i.e. May to August) still holds true, as this is the spawning season and quality will be poorer. When raw, the shells should be closed tight. Any slightly open shells that don’t close up in response to a few light taps should be discarded. When cooked, the shells should open – discard any that don’t.

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In The Garden

Nothing happening on our little balcony garden at the moment, although we are still cutting Parsley, Thyme, Rosemary and Sage, it will soon be time to have a good clean down and sow our salads, radish and spring onion seeds outside and tomato seeds inside.

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Recipe for March

Rhubarb Sponge Pudding

Perfect for a Sunday lunch served with rich, smooth, velvety custard or thick Jersey cream, Maureen can’t remember when she first made this it was probably at home in Longridge when she was small, Maureen says “ I have been making for a long time and John calls it real comfort food and always asks for it when the new season rhubarb appears”.

Serves / Makes: 4 servings, Prep-Time: 15 minutes, Cook-Time: 45 minutes

You Will Need

1. 100 grams soft butter
2. 100 grams caster sugar
3. 2 large eggs
4. 100 grams self-raising flour, sifted
5. 500 grams ripe rhubarb stalks
6. 100 grams, extra caster sugar

Method

• Heat the oven to 180°C/ 360°F/gas mark 4.
• Beat the butter and caster sugar in a bowl until light and creamy add the eggs one at a time, beating well. Gently fold in the sifted flour until you have a batter of dropping consistency.
• Cut the rhubarb stalks into 2cm lengths; discarding any, leaves arrange loosely in a buttered one-litre pie or baking dish and scatter with the 100 grams of extra caster sugar.
• Spoon the batter mixture on top of the fruit in clumps then smooth out the clumps to cover the rhubarb bake for 45 minutes, or until the topping is golden.
• Serve with rich cream or with velvety smooth custard and enjoy

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Notes

The outlandishly coloured vegetable that thinks it's a fruit. Rhubarb makes deliciously comforting puddings but its sharpness works extremely well with meat and oily fish dishes (the duck recipe below is a resounding success). Forced rhubarb (grown in the dark) has yellowish leaves and usually appears in January. The field-grown variety replaces it around April and is less tender but often more flavourful. Rhubarb was used as a medicine in ancient China. It was brought to Europe by Marco Polo and has been eaten as a food since the eighteenth century. Rhubarb is a good source of fibre and contains moderate levels of vitamin C and calcium. Studies have linked the fibre from rhubarb in the diet with reduced cholesterol levels. When buying choose crisp, firm, plump stalks with good colour. When kept in the fridge, fresh rhubarb will stay in reasonable condition for 1-2 weeks. Raw and cooked rhubarb freeze well. To prepare, wash and trim both ends of the stalks, and discard the poisonous leaves. Rhubarb, in particular the later field-grown variety, is very tart and requires considerable sweetening.

As with other relatively acidic foods it is recommended that it’s not cooked using aluminium pots

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John & Maureen Glen Tags: London, Pimlico, Tachbrook, “Seasonal Recipes”, “Seasonal Foodstuffs”, “Tachbrook Street Market”, “Jonathan Norris”, Fishmongers, Butchers, Freeman’s, Alhayat, Greengrocers, Fruiterers, November, “What’s in Season”, markets, shops, supermarkets, Razor Clams, Rhubarb, Puddings, Comfort Food, Traditional

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Related articles

• Purple broccoli shortage (telegraph.co.uk)
• Boost The Health Benefits of Broccoli (notecook.com)
• Penne with Romanesco Broccoli, Gorgonzola, Pine Nuts, and Leek Cream (fivestarfoodie.com)

February, What’s in Season This Month

February the shortest month and the only month with fewer than 30 days, so we have to pack a lot in, within a short space of time, at the start of every month we plan and see what’s available, where it comes from and then we somewhat plan our menus around the information we have, not that we stick firmly to them, cooking is too much fun for that and when shopping in the markets and smaller stores you always seem to find something that the mainstream shops and supermarkets don’t have.

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I have to say though that February is not one the finest of months for the cook although this year we have been blessed and had a good sharp frost that means that the Brussels sprouts are very sweet and the cabbages, kale, carrots, and parsnips are good.

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All the winter root crops are still going strong and this is the month for early winter cauliflower, leeks are really flourishing now, so turn them into creamy soups or blanch them and serve in salads, turnips, protected spinach, swede, celeriac, chard, forced rhubarb, and carrots potatoes, apples, and pears are still available and mushrooms are available most of the year, so that all important date this month the 14^th St. Valentine’s day you will be able to cook up a very romantic meal with some superb ingredients.

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I think that this is the time of year for all those delightful roasts, slow cooked, rich warming casseroles with lots of perfect floury potatoes like Maris Piper and King Edwards, along with rich earthy root vegetables and sweet onions

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Also don’t forget to look out for savoy and green cabbages, which should be coming in now these come in all shapes and sizes at this time of year, the pointed spring cabbages are particularly sweet, while dimpled savoy cabbage leaves are ideal for stuffing.

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This weekend we had the first of the British greens from Tesco’s and they are superb jam packed full of flavour and very sweet.

The fishing has been quite good this last couple of weeks and although somewhat scarce cod is at its best this time of year as is Hake, Pollack, Whiting, and Pouting.

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You know we must start using these four fish a lot more they are all cousins to the cod and haddock plus they are full of flavour and much more affordable so come on be bold and give them a try.

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Mussels are affordable, delicious, and provide a superb meal for all the family, and although not as inexpensive as mussels, the halibut is a majestic fish and outstanding pan fried, poached or baked; the same can be said for brill and turbot.

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Beef, lamb and pork is good this month and our local butcher has some ox-tail and beef brisket in that is just so tasty we have already cooked a beef pot-roast and slow braised ox-tail, just have a look at my recipe for beef pot-roast

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Fresh wild game is just about finished for the season now but hare is still in season and wild venison is still good as are rabbit. What is more guinea fowl is widely available, this petite bird is related to the chicken, and its slightly gamey but tantalizing flavour makes it an exciting alternative it's smaller so all through cooking, keep it moist, in addition why not try a delicious goose this month they really are a flavoursome bird.

On MyDish there are plenty of recipes for all of us to try out this month just have a look around and discover some outstanding dishes

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Fruit at Its Best

Apples, Forced Rhubarb, Pears

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Vegetables at Their Best

Beetroot, Brussels Sprouts, Carrots, Cauliflower, Celeriac, Celery, Chicory, Horseradish, Jerusalem Artichoke, Kale, Kohlrabi, Leeks, Onions, Parsnips, Potatoes (Maincrop), Purple Sprouting Broccoli, Radishes, Rhubarb, Rocket, Salsify, Shallots, Spinach, Swede and Turnips

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Herbs, nuts etc. this month;

Chestnuts, Chives, Coriander, Mushrooms (Cultivated), and Wild Mushrooms, Parsley (Curly) Truffles (Black)

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Meat, Poultry and Game at Its Best

Beef, Chicken, Duck, Goose, Grouse, Guinea Fowl, Hare, Mallard, Partridge, Pork, Rabbit, Turkey, Venison And Wood Pigeon,

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Fish and Seafood at Its Best

Brill, Clams, Cockles, Cod, Conger Eel, Crab, Dab, Dover Sole, Eel, Haddock, Halibut, Hake, John Dory, Langoustine, Lemon Sole, Lobster, Mackerel, Monkfish, Mussels, Oysters, Plaice, Scallops, Sea Bream, Skate, Squid, Turbot And Winkles.

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Look out for our very own native oysters they are in season and at their very best now, delicately flavoured with a taste that compares to the sea itself they are just about the most sought after oyster in the world, I also suggest that you look for farmed Pacific (rock) oysters which have an altogether subtler taste at this time of year again they are in their prime and a lot easier on the pocket.

Oysters are regarded as a special treat but restaurateur Ben Wright, who runs the Duchy of Cornwall Oyster Farm, argues: “Oysters are for us all to enjoy and we should dispel the mystery that surrounds them”.

Is it true you should only eat them if there is a letter “r” in the month, between September and April?

“It’s true of native oysters which can’t be harvested in the summer spawning period, Pacific’s are all year round,” says Ben. How should you eat them? “Add lemon juice and let the oyster speak for itself. Pacific’s stand up better to cooking and are great deep-fried in breadcrumbs.”

Try them grilled with Parmesan, in beef and oyster pie or fried in cornflour and served in a buttered baguette (The Original Po'boy Sandwich). They are high in protein, low in fat and contain testosterone-boosting zinc, hence their aphrodisiac reputation.

Pick those with undamaged shells and a pleasant smell. They should be tightly closed or should snap shut when tapped. If not the oyster is dead and should not be eaten. Store live oysters in the fridge wrapped in a damp tea towel and eat as soon as possible.

To open (or shuck) an oyster, use a knife with a short, thick blade and wear protective gloves. Insert at the hinge and twist, sliding the blade up to cut the muscle that keeps the shell shut.

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The Latest Grocery News for February 2011

Sales of sustainable seafood soar in UK supermarkets;

Consumers are favouring Coley, Dab, Mussels, Squid, and Sardines over the staple Salmon, Cod, and Tuna following the programmes on television, which highlighted the wasteful use of "discard" in fishing practices while encouraging shoppers to take the pressure off popular fish stocks by being more adventurous in what they eat.

The cook and Guardian writer Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, credited with boosting demand for higher-welfare chicken three years ago, has taken the lead in the new campaign. Programmes from fellow chef Jamie Oliver have shown consumers new ways of cooking less popular species such as Mussels, Squid, and Trout.

Sainsbury's said sales of "by catch" from its fresh fish counter had been "promising" overall, while sales of Pollack had leapt by 167% week on week. It said customers had responded well to the fish featured in Jamie Oliver's programmes with sales of British and MSC-certified mackerel up 60% and mussels up 16%.

Sales of its sustainable "line and pole caught" canned tuna increased by 17% over the last week, while sales of organic salmon grew by 16% and normal salmon sales remained unchanged.

Tesco, the UK's biggest fish retailer, said it had seen an increase in sales of between 25 and 45% for fresh sardines, coley, brown crab, sprats, and whiting in the week since the first programmes. It said in a statement: "We sell around 40 species of fish on our fresh counters and our staff are trained to advise customers on trying new varieties. Sales of fresh cod, herring, mussels, mackerel, and canned tuna also increased compared to last week."

But the supermarket was singled out by Fearnley-Whittingstall for misleading labelling on its canned tuna, leading the company to pledge to catch 100% of its own-brand canned tuna using the "pole and line" method. Tesco last week came fifth out of the major supermarkets in a 2011 league table of sustainable tuna, compiled by Greenpeace.

Waitrose said sales of seafood overall were up by 15% – with most of this increase being attributed to species that have traditionally been less popular. Sales of frozen coley were up by 36%, frozen mackerel up 31% and Dover sole up 163%. A spokeswoman for Waitrose said: "There has also been strong demand for dabs, which we sell frozen. This week we are launching sprats (a fish that has almost been forgotten by UK consumers) and are looking at introducing dabs and coley on our service counters over the coming weeks. We are also introducing Welsh flounder - a species commonly discarded."

Ally Dingwall, aquaculture and fisheries manager at Sainsbury’s said: "Fish Fight has had a direct impact on consumer behaviour. It's encouraging to see a positive shift towards less popular and by catch fish, and if we can establish continued demand, fishermen will land and sell more of these species, and it may potentially become targeted species. In the last week, our fish sales have risen across the board: from fresh to counter to frozen fish.”

Asda reported "really strong sales across the whole of the fish category in the last week, up 10% on the previous week" with particular growth in the sales of products included in Jamie Oliver's recipes. Sales of trout fillets, for example, rose by 56%, whole sardines 66% and whole mackerel up by 115%.

Marks & Spencer said it had ordered in over a third more stock than it did for its peak Christmas week. Richard Luney, M&S fish expert, commented: "We had our biggest ever week in the history of M&S on fish sales last week, sales were up 25% versus this time last year. One of the key highlights was on our line–caught tuna that had a record week – so the importance of avoiding purse seined [a large net that catches entire schools of fish] fishing methods obviously really hit home."

As part of the Fish Fight campaign, consumers have been urged to add their signatures to a letter to the European fisheries minister, Maria Damanaki, calling for the elimination of discards to be elevated to a top priority in the forthcoming review of the European common fisheries policy. Even before the programmes were aired, the letter attracted over 35,000 signatories but this has now risen to well over 500,000. Today, Fearnley-Whittingstall urged consumers: "Please keep spreading the word. Half a million supporters today – less than a week after our shows went out! I wonder if a million sign-ups is a crazy dream.

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School children cook in Clarence House kitchens for the first time,

For the first time, lunch in Clarence House was cooked by school children today. Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Cornwall invited the winning schools from last year’s British Food Fortnight School Challenge to Clarence House to cook their chosen dishes for lunch. And with a special twist, Her Royal Highness invited the BBC’s Hairy Biker chefs, Dave Myers & Simon King, to work with the children to help them prepare their meal.

The competition was held last year as part of the national food promotion, British Food Fortnight. Inspired by the Hairy Bikers’ ‘Mums Know Best’ television programme, secondary schools were challenged to design and cook a meal based on recipes that would have been used in their school’s part of the country by previous generations.

 The winners, Northfield Academy near Aberdeen and Greencroft Business & Enterprise Community School in Durham, travelled to London to cook their winning dishes: Cock-A-Leekie Soup, Rabbit Pie, and Cranachan with Petticoat Tails.

 The lunch, which was attended by leading supporters of the national food promotion, commemorated the 10th anniversary of British Food Fortnight and the event’s plans for 2012 when it will run at the same time as the London Olympics making sure that British food is number one when the eyes of the world are upon us.

 Jake Mossom, from Greencroft Business & Enterprise School said: “How many people can say they have cooked for royalty? To come to Clarence House to cook a meal is a dream come true – I will never forget it. It has been such fun learning about recipes that used to be cooked by previous generations and has really made me appreciate all the wonderful local ingredients there are. And Her Royal Highness said it was delicious!”

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Retailers urged to follow Asda on pork;

THE National Pig Association (NPA) has praised Asda for ‘leading the way’ in helping pig farmers during the current crisis period.

The Leeds-based retailer has agreed to pay an additional 8p/kg for its Asda Pork Link members.

The NPA welcomed the move as ‘good start’ but is urging he retailer to extend the price increase to all its pig meat suppliers and has urged other retailers to follow suit.

 “The NPA is pleased to see Asda leading the way in addressing the current pig farmer profitability crisis. This is a good start and NPA will be working with Asda to ensure that the full 8p goes directly to ALL producers supplying Asda,” NPA chairman Stewart Houston said.

“We trust that Asda’s initiative will encourage others to follow suit quickly so that very soon the price paid to producers will increase significantly to reflect the true production cost of high welfare, British pigs for Red Tractor pork, bacon, ham, and sausages.”

He said the NPA was also pleased with Asda’s commitment to review their sourcing policy with a view to including more high welfare, assured British pork, and pork products on their key lines. Mr Houston said he hoped the moved would take Asda ‘to the levels of their competitors’ in its sourcing policy.

Asda stores chief executive and President Andy Clarke said: “We understand it’s a difficult time for pig farmers and we hope the feed price supplement being offered to our Pork Link members will help ease some of the pressure.”

High feed costs and competition from cheap imports, compounded by the recent German dioxin crisis, mean UK producers are currently losing more than £21 per pig, while the industry as a whole lost £27 million in 2010, according to levy body BPEX.

Earlier this week NFU Scotland named and shamed Asda and Tesco as the worst offenders among the major retailers for ‘shunning home produced pork and chicken in favour of cheap imports’. An NFUS investigation of supermarket shelves found that ‘virtually all’ Asda’s bacon was imported, as were gammon and bacon joints, while its value range of pork chops were a mix of French and German.

Tesco’s ‘3 for £10’ offer was on Dutch chicken and pork and ‘no British bacon appeared available’, while fresh pork shelves, despite carrying a ‘Specially Selected Scotch’ banner, were stocked with Dutch, French and Northern Irish product, NFUS said.

“At the very time when we need UK supermarkets to stand by UK producers, this quick look at the shelves has found Tesco and Asda appearing to shun producers here while making the most of the opportunities presented by the collapse in prices seen in Europe,” NFUS president Jim McLaren said.

In contrast, Morrisons ‘continued to demonstrate a considerable commitment to Scottish and British produce’, NFUS said.

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Asda Told To Change Price Guarantee Advertising;

Asda has been ordered to change its "misleading" price guarantee adverts following complaints from rival supermarkets.

The retailer’s original price guarantee advertising promised to refund customers the difference during their next shop if they found groceries cheaper at the other major supermarket chains.

However, Tesco and Morrisons complained to the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) that the ads were misleading as they suggested that Asda was generally cheaper than its main competitors, despite the including groceries and non-food items which they claim were excluded from the price comparison.

Asda responded to the complaints by insisting that their methodology for comparing prices between the retailers was robust, accurate and supported by Clearcast, which approves ads before they go on TV.

But the ASA upheld, or partly upheld, four of the nine complaints against the Walmart-owned retailer, after ruling that it failed to make it clear that the price guarantee did not apply to non-grocery products that appeared prominently in the ads.

A statement from the advertising watchdog said: "We told Asda to ensure their ads did not suggest their price guarantee applied to all items, including non-grocery items and items that were specifically excluded, or that their savings claims referred to shopping generally rather than specific items, if that was not the case."

The ASA ruled that the five adverts involving the Asda Price Guarantee tagline must not appear again in their current form.

Asda said it was satisfied with the outcome and remains committed to the Asda Price Guarantee and its recently launched 10 per cent cheaper price promise.

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Local Shopping

Tachbrook Street Market

Address: Tachbrook Street, SW1

Trading hours: Monday to Saturday: 8am to 6pm

Nearest tube: Victoria or Pimlico

Bus: 2, 24, 36, 185, 436

Open every day except Sunday, the number of stalls in this ancient street market increases as the week moves forwards, the market offers a wide array of goods from home furnishings and gardening equipment, to fruit and veg, fresh meat, fish, shellfish and bread and cakes, the market is home to an array of events counting late night shopping, gourmet lunchtime offers, ‘Fashion Thursdays’ and it will be hosting a brilliant Christmas market. Managed by Westminster Artisans Ltd on behalf of Westminster Council it is set to be a community hub thanks to its lively diverse array of stalls with scrumptious international hot food the paella is superb, fresh food, chocolate, cheese, olive oil, bread, funky fashion, and lots more. Discover different stalls on different days.

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Dates for your diary:

Spring 2011 - Pimlico Food Festival

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On Sonny’s Stall on Tachbrook Street Market

Sonny’s stall this week was a picture it is great to see such fresh produce full of lively colours, what was on offer? Well there were Apples Cox’s from Kent to be exact, English Braeburns and Bramleys, Artichokes, Beets, English Broccoli, Butternut Squash, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Courgettes, English King Edward Potatoes, Fennel, Field Mushrooms, Leeks, Mache (Lambs Lettuce), Parsnips, Purple Sprouting Broccoli, Radish, Watercress, you can plainly see that all of what was available was in first-rate condition.

 

 

Our Local Butchers have been getting in

Beef, lamb, and pork is good this month and our local butcher Freemans has some ox-tails and beef brisket in that is just so tasty his fore-rib of beef looked just about perfectly hung and at under £14 per kilo is probably the cheapest in London you really must give the classically trained butcher a go and just to see a real traditional butcher shop is a treat.

At Alhayat we bought some British veal chops at under £9 a kilo and they were very tasty and their Scottish lamb is fantastic.

Our Local Fishmonger

Jon Norris on Tachbrook Street Market;

Every time we go to his stall we see more and more people queuing up for his wares and its no wonder as this week he had on offer some outstanding plump succulent Cornish Pollock (see below for my recipe).

You had your choice of steaks and fillets and we had 2 large thick fillet pieces for under £6.00 so along with the sweet rough brown shrimps we also bought our Saturday night special, dinner was less than £10.00

His display as usual was a picture with Cornish Brill, Clams including sweet plump Razor Clams, Cod fillets, Cod steaks, and a whole Cod one of the biggest I had seen for a while, Crab, Haddock, Cornish Hake, Halibut, John Dory, Lemon Sole, Megrim Sole, Dover Sole, Gilthead Bream, Cornish Gurnard, grey Mullet, Lobster, Scottish Mackerel, Mussels, Monkfish, Cornish Octopus, there was Plaice from Scotland so plump and sweet, Prawns in the shell we bought a pint of them and they were so sweet and succulent we both wished we had purchased more, there were Native Oysters, Rock Oysters, Scallops from the Isle of Man, wild Sea Bass, Skate, Sprats, Squid, Turbot, and Cornish Whiting, and some of the biggest Whelks (Buckies) that I have seen in many a year

Almost all Jon’s fish is sourced from around the Cornish, Devon and Scottish coasts and his prices are so reasonable you have got to give this gifted and extraordinary fishmonger a try, you won’t be sorry, I promise.

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Recipes for February

Roasted Fillets of Pollack with Brown Shrimps

Fat Juicy Pollack Fillets Roasted With Tangy Lemon Zest and Served With Brown Shrimps in Delicious Spiced Butter.

When we were at the Great Tree Hotel our fishmonger used to ring early every morning letting me know what the local catch was and the prices and during February, March and April Pollack was always plentiful and this was one of the ways we cooked it. It was especially popular with our French guests, we still cook it today but now just for the 2 of us, and sometimes I use cod, haddock or whiting if the Pollack isn’t available.

Serves / Makes:        2 servings

Prep-Time:                 60 minutes

Cook-Time:                8 minutes

You Will Need

For the Pollack

2 x 200 gram fillets, Pollack, use the thickest part

1 teaspoon, sea salt

2 tablespoons, olive oil for frying/roasting

15 grams, plain flour for dusting

2 teaspoons, fresh thyme leaves

Zest of ½ a lemon, finely shredded

For The Shrimps

200 grams, brown shrimps, cooked and peeled

100 grams unsalted butter

¼ teaspoon, ground white pepper

¼ teaspoon, ground mace

¼ teaspoon, ground cayenne pepper

1 small bay leaf

½ tablespoon, lemon juice

1 tablespoon each of finely chopped fresh chives and curly parsley

Method

Place the Pollack fillets on a plate and sprinkle with the salt, chill uncovered for at least 1 hour, this will draw out the excess moisture and make the fish a little firmer, brush off the excess salt and pat dry with kitchen paper and chill.

Preheat the oven to 220°C/400°F/Gasmark 7. Put the flour and thyme into a shallow dish or plate, season with salt and pepper and stir to mix, add the fish, and coat well shaking off the excess flour. Heat the olive oil in a frying pan over a high heat, add the fish skin side down and cook for 1 to 2 minutes to crisp the skin, transfer to a roasting tin, skin side down, scatter with the lemon zest and roast for 5 to 8 minutes or until just cooked through.

While the Pollack is roasting prepare the shrimps by melting the butter in a frying pan then add the ground white pepper, mace, cayenne pepper, and bay leaf allow the butter to cool until it is just warm, remove the bay leaf. Bring back to a medium heat until foaming and add the shrimps mix well to coat the shrimp and cook for 1 to 2 minutes now add the lemon juice and herbs.

By this time the Pollack should be cooked place the pollock onto 2 plates and pour the shrimps and foaming butter over the Pollack fillets, serve, and Enjoy!

Notes

Pollock or Pollack is one more of those fish which is frequently disregarded by consumers in this country, who instead plump for Cod or Haddock.

Our Celtic cousins across the Channel take another view stop at any fish restaurant in Brittany and ‘Lieu Jaune’ (Pollock) will habitually be the daily special or main attraction on the menu.

The worth that the French place on Pollack is reflected by the price they are will charge, conventionally Pollock have been caught either by inshore fishermen using hand lines around the rocks or as a extra catch by fishermen fishing for cod and other round fish type. Nevertheless, improved access to the French market has resulted in increasingly rising prices paid at first auction for Pollock. As a consequence, local fishermen are fishing for Pollock with hand lines and gill nets, fishing in their preferred locale;

In reaction to mounting prices and the ever-increasing price placed on line caught fish, talks are presently being held about the labelling of Pollock in the same way that line caught Bass are labelled (see www.linecaught.org.uk ) providing “line-to-plate” traceability.

Another good reason to try Pollack is that around 90% of the Pollock landed in the UK is caught off the south west coast and landed into Cornish Ports landings are steady at just over 1000 tonnes per annum and the stock levels are said to be ‘stable’ by ICES Fisheries Scientists.

Pollack is available most of the year but more plentiful in the first and second quarters of the year, with 60% of the annual catch being taken in February, March and April.

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Beef Pot Roast with Vegetables

An inexpensive, satisfying, and oh-so-rich feast roasted in the pot and once assembled it needs little attention this dish makes its own gravy while it cooks. Furthermore it is so delicious the next day when used for leftovers, seeing that the flavours mature with time.

Lord and Lady Hanson enjoyed a good beef pot roast especially when made with the wine they were going to have with the meal and we still enjoy this beef pot roast above all in the winter months when you can just put it in the oven and leave it for 2 or 3 hours while you just chill out and wait for a very unique dish.

Serves / Makes:        6 servings

Prep-Time:                 30 minutes

Cook-Time:                3 hours

You Will Need

1 ½ to 2 kilos rolled brisket

2 tablespoons, olive, or vegetable oil

6 shallots, peeled and left whole, or 1 large onion, roughly chopped

2 large carrot cut into 5cm/2inch chunks

4 celery stalks, cut into 5cm/2inch chunks

300 grams, swede, cut into 5cm/2inch chunks

300 grams, potatoes, cut into 5cm/2inch chunks

6 regular or 1 large Portobello mushroom, cut into 1 inch chunks

200mls vegetable stock, we sometimes use the Knorr gel stocks

100mls, good red wine

1 tablespoon, Worcestershire sauce

2 tablespoons, tomato purée

1 bay leaf

3 sprigs fresh thyme

Beurre Manié made with 1 tablespoon flour and 25 grams softened butter

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

Preheat the oven to 150°C / 300F° / gas mark 2.

Heat the oil over a high heat in a large oven-proof casserole and brown the meat on all sides. Place on a plate. Add the shallots or onion, carrot and celery to the casserole and fry until beginning to go brown at the edges, about 5 minutes. Place the meat on top of the vegetables and add the swede, potatoes, and mushrooms.

Make up the stock, add the Worcestershire sauce and tomato purée and pour over the roast add the bay leaf and thyme, salt and pepper and bring to the boil, Secure with a tight-fitting lid and cook in the oven for 2½ to 3 hours.

After the cooking time, drain off the liquid, arrange the meat and vegetables on a serving platter, and keep warm. Make the Beurre Manié by mixing the butter and flour to a paste. Bring the liquid to the boil and whisk in the Beurre Manié to thicken the sauce taste for seasoning and serve with the pot roast.

Serve and Enjoy!

Notes

• Moist heat is a must
• Instead of wine and stock, you can use just wine, beer, ale, stout or all stock it all depends on you.
• The cuts of meat used for pot roast have less fat than steaks and long, slow cooking with liquid (also called braising) tenderizes the meat fibres.
• Whether the pot roast is cooked on the stove, in the oven or in the crock-pot, you may brown the meat first on all sides. This improves the flavour and appearance of the meat.
• The high heat used during browning caramelizes the sugars and proteins in the meat, which results in a rich flavour.
• If the recipe doesn't call for browning, you don't have to worry about it.
• Season the meat before browning for best flavour.
• Common cuts used for pot roast include: chuck, brisket, top round and bottom round
• Did you know that Sauerbraten is a famous German variety of pot roast and that our own Lancashire Hotpot is a type of pot roast?

Beurre Manié (French "kneaded butter"), is a dough, made up of equal parts of soft butter and flour, it is used to thicken soups and sauces. By kneading the flour and butter together, the resulting paste/dough is a good thickener. When the Beurre Manié is whisked into a hot or warm liquid, the butter melts, releasing the flour particles without creating lumps.

Beurre Manié should not be confused with roux, which is also a thickener made of equal parts of butter and flour, but which is cooked before use. Unused Beurre Manié can be stored in a covered dish or jar for up to two weeks in the refrigerator.

Start with 1 tablespoon of all-purpose flour and 1 tablespoon of softened butter, Work the butter and flour together by hand, once the flour is incorporated into the butter your Beurre Manié is finished and prepared to add to your stews, soups, and sauces, remember though to just add it a little at a time, making sure that it is stirred well in.

John & Maureen Glen Tags: London, Pimlico, Tachbrook, February, pot-roast, pollock, brisket, news, Fish Fight campaign, Tachbrook Street Market, Jonathan Norris, Fishmongers, Butchers

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