June, What’s in Season This Month

Our Favourite month and not just because of what is in season and available on the 14^th of this month we will have been married for 38 years yes 38 years and is really doesn’t feel like it, here is a photo of us on that day just before we left for Mallorca.

Now June is here and the sun is warm, our thoughts turn to lighter foods, picnics and barbeques, and out comes the salad bowl, do you think that there is anything better than fresh summer produce? Biting into a sweet strawberry or munching your way through a bag of glistening red cherries is as much a part of a British summer as sunburn and short shorts.

 

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This month our own British foodstuffs really begin to emerge, soft fruits, vegetables and seafood are abundant the asparagus is still good and the Jersey Royals are still as tasty as ever.

The wealth of June is just what we’ve been waiting for, the days grow longer, and it’s a joy to go shopping with the markets, shops, and supermarkets just overrunning with the best of British produce especially The first of the Kentish fruit so we say welcome to the strawberries and gooseberries and now’s the time to make the most of the young broad beans, peas and new potatoes, to be enjoyed with new season lamb and don’t forget June is also a good month for quail, beef and guinea fowl and there is lots of fish in season, including mackerel, plaice and lemon sole. Look out for the fish and shellfish from Scottish and Western waters especially lobster and crab, monkfish is at its best, Salmon is relatively cheap right now and sardines are terrific just grilled with a little seasoning and lemon.

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Most butchers will by now supplying you with barbeque packs of meats, but beware there are a few unscrupulous butchers who just use the barbeque season as an excuse to get rid of inferior meat.

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It’s time to fill your basket with herbs and tender young veggies our diminutive balcony garden is now giving us a steady supply of Rocket, Baby Salad Leaves, Mint and Parsley.

Summer is beckoning us June asks us to luxuriate in the sumptuous range of produce it has to offer, Strawberries are reaching their best, with the earliest varieties from Hampshire and the Cheddar gorge available in the first couple of weeks and by the end of the month the strawberries from Kent will be in full flow and the prices will plummet. Apricots, cherries, and gooseberries are worth looking out for.

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Fruit at Its Best

Apricots, cherries, Strawberries, and gooseberries

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Vegetables at Their Best

Artichoke, Asparagus, Aubergine, Broad Beans, Broccoli, Carrots, Courgettes, Fennel, Jersey Royal New Potatoes, Lettuces and Salad Leaves, Mangetout, New Potatoes, Onions, Peas, Radishes, Rocket, Runner Beans, Samphire, Spinach, Spring Onions, Turnips and Watercress.

Herbs: Basil, Chervil, Chives, Dill, Elderflower, Mint, Nasturtium, Parsley (Curly), Parsley (Flat-Leaf), Rosemary, Sorrel, Tarragon, and Thyme.

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Meat, Poultry and Game at Its Best

Beef, Guinea Fowl, Hare, Lamb, Mutton, Pork, Rabbit, Veal, Quail, and Wood Pigeon.

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Fish and Seafood at Its Best

Line-Caught Mackerel are getting bigger and it's definitely the time to be eating flat fish, Lemon Sole and Plaice are especially succulent and plentiful at the moment.

Cod, Crab, Haddock, Herring, John Dory, Lemon Sole, Lobster, Mackerel, Plaice, Pollack, Prawns, Salmon, Sardines, Sea Bream, Sea Trout, Shrimp, Whelks, and Whitebait.

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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:

11-12 June, Nigel’s Fantastic Food Show, Ewood Park, Blackburn

Nigel Haworth is returning for a second year to host a two day foodie’s extravaganza. The Fantastic Food Show promises to be an example of real northern hospitality, which means you’ll be leaving with a smile on your face!

The Cookery Theatre is the place to go to pick up handy tips with the likes of Simon Rimmer and Nigel himself showing what they’re made of.

There are plenty of local producers keen to answer your questions and show off what they’ve got, so if the cupboard are looking a bit bare, this is a great place to stock up.

Website: Nigel’s Fantastic Food Show

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16 - 19 June, Taste of London, Regent’s Park, London.

Right in the heart of the capital, some of the country’s best chefs and produce come together in a food fest that will tickle the taste buds and get the creative juices running. You will have the unique opportunity to dine from 40 of London’s top restaurants, try and buy from 200 top quality foods and drink producers and see the pros demonstrate their skills live on stage. 2011 will see the addition of ‘The Secret Garden’, an exclusive area where visitors will have the chance to take part in Q&A sessions with chefs while feasting on canapés and champagne. 

Website: Taste of London

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On Sonny’s Stall, Tachbrook Street Market;

Asparagus, broad beans, carrots, cauliflower, lettuce, new potatoes, peas, radishes, rocket, sorrel, spring onions, watercress along with the most tasty fruits such as Cherries, elderflowers, gooseberries, redcurrants, rhubarb, strawberries, and Raspberries.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Our Local Butchers Freeman’s have been getting in;

Beef, Guinea Fowl, Lamb, Pork, Rabbit, Veal, Quail, and Wood Pigeon.

 

 

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Our Local Fishmonger Jon Norris, Tachbrook Street Market Has Been Getting In;

Another great display from Jon including a small shark, to day he was showing amongst others live Crab, South coast Flounder, Cornish Octopus, Cornish Haddock, Cornish Hake, Hake is an under-rated fish, which is a shame because it has a subtle and delicious flavour, similar to cod. Best of all, it is environmentally sustainable, yet inexpensive. It is also easy to prepare as it has relatively few bones. Heating the fish fillets slowly in a cold pan prevents them from curling up during frying. This works really well for firm fish with thin skins, such as hake.

There was also wild Scottish Sea Trout, Cornish Dover Sole, Scottish Squid, Scottish Langoustines, Halibut, Herring, Lemon Sole, line caught Mackerel, Plaice, Pollack, Sea Bass, and Cornish Turbot as you will all know by now most all Jon’s fish is from around the Cornish, Devon and Scottish coasts, just look at the photos and see just how passionate Jon and his family and friends are about the produce they sell, oh we're also recommending Jon’s Dressed Crab it's a simple, healthy meal using a mixture of brown and white Crab meat and prawns so delicious with salad and a light dressing.

 

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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Recipes for June

We bought some Hake from Jon as it is a while since we had some and his looked very fresh and tasty, here are two of my favourite recipes for Hake.

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Hake with Peas and Asparagus (Merluza con Guisantes y Esparrgos)

Fancy giving cod a rest and trying a different fish for a change?

I remember having this dish many, many years ago at a friend’s house and then in 1972 in the little fishing villages of Cala Bona and Calla Millor (not so small now though) on the island of Mallorca we had it again and again. This recipe is as original as it gets, modern versions differ somewhat but we like this better especially in June when we serve it with steamed Jersey Royal Potatoes.

Serves / Makes: 4 servings

Prep-Time: 10 minutes

Cook-Time: 30 minutes

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You Will Need

1 small onion

1 small carrot

1 sprig, parsley

2 tablespoons, olive oil

1 kilo, peas, frozen or fresh

1 kilo, hake, cut into portions

Salt and pepper to taste

300mls, fish or vegetable stock, if we have no fish stock we like to use Knorr vegetable gel stockpots

12, cooked asparagus tips, we like to use the jumbo asparagus

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Method

Chop the onion, carrot, and parsley and fry gently in a saucepan in oil, without browning. Add the peas and the hake, season, add the stock and simmer for 30 minutes; put the asparagus tips in at the last moment, just to heat through.

Serve the hake surrounded by the peas, with the asparagus tips on top and Enjoy!

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Pan-Fried Hake with Lemon and Parsley

This is a very popular recipe in Spain its quick and easy and just right for a light lunch or supper.

Serves / Makes: 4 servings

Prep-Time: 10 minutes

Cook-Time: 12 minutes

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You Will Need

2 tablespoons, seasoned plain flour

2 tablespoons, lemon zest, finely grated

10 grams, fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped

4 small fillets or steaks of hake about 80 to 90 grams each

2 tablespoons, olive oil

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Method

Mix together the seasoned flour, lemon zest and parsley, pat onto the fish on both sides well, shaking off any excess. Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a moderate heat; cook the fish for 11 to 12 minutes turning occasionally. Drain on kitchen paper and serve with lemon wedges and seasonal vegetables.

Enjoy!

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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, food, recipe, Fish, Hake, Spain, Mallorca, Calla Bona, Cala Millor, lemon, parsley, quick, easy

May, What’s in Season This Month

Well, I’m late again my apologies to one and all, I did think about not putting a blog up for May as it is so late however one or two have asked for a May blog so here it is.

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As the weather gets warmer in May, beautiful British produce can be found in abundance especially large, juicy spears of asparagus which are at their very best and cheap too, when I say asparagus I mean proper English asparagus, not that stuff from Peru or America, which is a bit wishy-washy not that I have anything against overseas asparagus but English is something special and I like the short period in which we can get it, and Jersey royals the new potatoes with attitude are mouth-watering sprinkled with sea salt flakes, black pepper and golden Jersey butter melted and poured over them.

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The English asparagus season officially starts on 1st May, but depending on the weather can start as early as mid-April the harvest lasts for approximately 6 weeks, until mid-June. Although asparagus was once only grown in certain areas of the United Kingdom, such as the Vale of Evesham, East Anglia, Kent, and London, it is now grown in most of the United Kingdom. It's a great accompaniment to seasonal meats and fish, steam, grill or roast it, add it to tarts or blend it into soups no matter which way you cook it you are going to be in for a tasty treat.

British asparagus, with its deep, intricate flavour, is considered by the British, at least to be the best in the world. Its profound, lush flavour is ascribed in large part to Britain’s cool growing conditions. Traditionally only green asparagus has been grown here, but there are several types and varieties, in any case  whether you’re buying tips thin 'sprue' asparagus or extra-large 'jumbo' spears, always choose stems that are firm and lush, rather than dry and wrinkly.

Avoid any stems that are discoloured, scarred or turning slimy at the tips. If you're using whole spears, then make sure the buds are tightly rolled. If you're making soup, though, you could also use the cheaper, loose-tipped spears you sometimes find on market stalls.

Regardless of what you may have read or heard, it's not necessary to buy an asparagus steamer, nor to tie the asparagus into a bundle and cook it upright in a pan. For the best results, wash the stems thoroughly in a sink full of cold water. Then trim the stalks and, if the lower part of the stem seems tough when sliced and eaten raw, lightly peel the bottom third of the stem. Drop loose spears into a pan of boiling water and cook until just tender.

The cooking time varies according to the thickness of the stems but ranges between 3 to 5 minutes; the Roman’s use to have a saying similar to “In a New York Minute” it was “Quick as Asparagus”. Once it's cooked, drain, and pat dry on kitchen paper. If you're serving it cold, you'll get the best flavour if, rather than cooling under the cold tap, you spread the hot asparagus out to cool on some kitchen paper.

Conventionally coordinated with hollandaise sauce, asparagus picked just a day or so ago (try your nearest farmers' market) needs no messing with. Enjoy it with a mizzle of olive oil, a twist of black pepper and perhaps a few shavings of Parmesan cheese.

Earliest records of asparagus cultivation trace it back to Greece some 2,500 years ago. The Greeks believed that asparagus possessed medicinal properties and recommended it as a cure for toothaches. It was highly prized by the Romans who grew it in high-walled courtyards. Asparagus has been grown in England since the sixteenth century (it is not widely cultivated anywhere else in the UK) and during the nineteenth century it caught on in North America and China

Asparagus contains more folic acid than any other vegetable. It also a source of fibre, potassium, vitamins A and C and glutathione, a phytochemical with antioxidant and anticarcinogenic properties

BUYING

Look for firm but tender stalks with good colour and closed tips. Smaller, thinner stalks are not necessarily tenderer; in fact thicker specimens are often better due to the smaller ratio of skin to volume.

STORING

Once picked, asparagus rapidly loses flavour and tenderness, so it really is worth eating it on the day you buy it. If that isn't possible, store asparagus in the fridge with a damp paper towel wrapped around the bottom of the stalks and you can get away with keeping it for a couple of days.

PREPARING AND COOKING

Wash in cold water and remove the bottom ends of the stalks (with fresh asparagus they will snap off cleanly). Boil or steam quickly until just tender, around 4 to 7 minutes depending on thickness.

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For us (Maureen and meself) May is the start of our summer and as the days get longer and warmer we look forward to barbeques, picnics and lunches in the garden and the parks here in London, we always look forward to the new season asparagus delicious served cold with a nice tasty vinaigrette or a velvety, opulent Hollandaise sauce, we take pleasure in the delicate and unsophisticated texture of sea trout lightly poached in white wine with herbs or pan-fried with butter, lemon and capers we also  look forward to the new season parsley, carrots, raspberries and the first of the cherries.

I remember when we were at The Whitewell Hotel, The Willow Tree Restaurant and The Great Tree Hotel we always competed with other hotels and restaurants who would be the first to serve the first of British asparagus, strawberries and jersey royal potatoes, at Whitewell we almost always won and the same can be said for the Willow Tree but down in Devon it was always a real competition with Gidleigh Park and I am miserable to say they won more than we did, however it is still always nice to get the first of this seasons new fruit and veg with such magnificent flavours.

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May is unquestionably the time for new vegetables, and at this time there are so many that get going at the end of April that are either just coming into season or are in full swing it seems we are bursting at the seams with seasonal luxury this month so you must try to mix and match sumptuous asparagus, tender peas and spicy watercress to make mouth-watering salads and soups.

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There are not surprisingly, other vegetables that we can look forward to see this month; New Season Carrots, Mint, Wild Mushrooms, Nettles, Parsley, Radishes, Rocket, Samphire, Sorrel, Spinach and Watercress are all on offer outdoor grown salad leaves of all types come along, as do Radishes, Broad Beans, Spinach, Broccoli, Courgettes, all start to appear this month too, English tomatoes will start to become quite evident and get better as May fades into June.

The summer vegetables will be starting but the British fruit will still be a little limited, but the first of the strawberries will be appearing. We will also begin to find that the choice of meat and fish becoming more plentiful and that the farmhouse cheeses are at their best.

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Fruit at Its Best

Rhubarb and form abroad, melons such as Cantaloupe, Charentais and Gallia and cherries and apricots.

British Fruit coming in now are Strawberries from Kent, Devon, and Cornwall May customarily sees the beginning of the English strawberry season; we have always related them with much later in the year more like late June, July and August but we now get tasty early strawberries, another fruit that surprises me at this time of year is the cherry, imported of course but once these and strawberries appear in the shops then you instinctively know summer is just around the corner.

Late May also sees the first flush of summer berries, gooseberries, red currants, black currants and probably even raspberries, now that's something to look forward to isn't it?

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Vegetables at Their Best

Asparagus, spinach, radishes, spring greens and purple sprouting broccoli, cucumbers, primo cabbages and cauliflowers.

Vegetables just appearing are: Main crop carrots, new potatoes especially Jersey Royals, and those other tasty varieties such as those from Pembrokeshire, and Anglesey, new season turnips, young tender broad beans and tender sweet cucumbers, plus that tasty peppery arugula/rocket. It is probably your last chance to buy Leeks, parsnips and kale.

And don’t forget the herbs basil, chervil, chives; dill, elderflower, mint, nasturtium, parsley (curly), parsley (flat-leaf), and sorrel are all now becoming widely available.

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Meat, Poultry and Game at Its Best

All the usual suspects are available but it is the new season lamb you want to keep a lookout for and the outdoor reared pork, Welsh Black Beef is another that id beginning to show itself more and more.

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Fish and Seafood at Its Best

After particular beautiful Cornish weather in April which as always is excellent for catching and landing fish and seafood, May is and has been more of a challenge what with strong winds at the beginning of the month and now more winds this week netting and landing the catch has become a bit more difficult of a task for the boats and the same can be said for Scotland joyfully, what's being landed is really superior produce.

For all that wonderful fresh fish look for Sea bass, Turbot and Monkfish, Salmon, Sea Trout, River Trout are at their best, Dover sole and Lobster are coming back after their low season, and Cornish crab and other shellfish are simply superb.

Line-Caught Mackerel is luscious, tasty, and plentiful right now, we are seeing reasonable sized fish, which makes for some lovely dishes whether you're eating at home with your family or cooking for a few friends too.

The first sardines should soon be appearing at the fishmongers (for those in Pimlico look at the Cornish Chins) so get the barbecue out and start grilling, even though they have always been popular with the Spanish and Portuguese they have never really caught on in this country. We all eat them quite cheerfully while on holiday but it seems when we get back to our own patch, if they do not come in tins then we don't seem to want to know them, it’s a shame really as when they are fresh they are very yummy. Drizzled with a good quality olive oil and grilled till the skin turns crispy, served with a salad of tossed leaves with a hint of lemon juice and some homemade crusty bread what could be better?

May is great for buying Brown Crab, Haddock, Lemon Sole, Langoustines, Sardines, Sea Bass, and Sea Trout.

A new online consumer guide to sustainable seafood has been launched today. The Good Fish Guide at www.goodfishguide.org.uk gives straightforward advice and cooking recipe ideas to make buying sustainable and varied seafood much simpler. The MCS Pocket Good Fish Guide has also been updated and now includes a credit card-sized guide to buying fish including top buying tips and questions to ask the fishmonger or at the fish counter.

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The Latest Grocery News for May 2011

from Love British Food

1. Mandatory rules for country of origin labelling are one step closer! The EU Committee for Environment, Public Health, and Food Safety has voted unanimously for country of origin labelling for all meat, poultry, dairy products, fresh fruit, and vegetables with a country of origin. Members also backed country of origin labelling for meat, poultry, and fish when used as an ingredient in processed foods. The decision will now be taken back to European Parliament in July where members must back a plenary vote.
2. Tesco has started to import Black Angus beef from America, a direct competitor to Aberdeen Angus. British farmers produce 64 per cent of the beef we eat. Most of the rest comes from Ireland, but also increasingly Brazil and now, for the first time in many years, the USA. British farmers fear this increased competition will undercut their beef on price and shoppers will move away from British! Don't let this be the case – buy British today!
3. Waitrose has become the first supermarket to commit to offering English only cherries for the key window of the UK season – five weeks at the height of the summer. They will begin selling cherries from May with imported produce from N. America, Turkey, and Spain. Imported cherries will then be phased out for the five week 100 per cent English season and then in August, as the English season draws to a close, it will be English topped up with imported fruit.
4. Look forward to a bumper strawberry crop! The warm weather has brought crops out 2 weeks earlier than usual and is predicted to be the best harvest in 20 years. As a result the number of strawberries imported from countries like Spain has been reduced by 50 per cent. Tesco has pledged to sell predominately English strawberries from the month of May.
5. Get your English aubergines now! The Yorkshire grown aubergines, supplied by English Village Salads Ltd, have come into season and will be available in supermarkets now until November.
6. Tesco has met the local target it set itself back in 2006 this month. The supermarket has broken its £1bn barrier for sales of locally sourced products.
7. Asda is exclusively stocking the branded Cornish Crystal potatoes this year. The Cornish new potatoes have already hit supermarket shelves, making them one of the earliest UK mainland potatoes currently being sold.
8. Volume sales of English apples have risen by 6 per cent this year and could grow by a further 50 per cent on the back of recent strong support for the industry by the multiples.
9. Harvey Nichols has announced it will be holding summer dining events to take urbanites out of the city and closer to traditionally produced foods. The Hand Picked by Harvey Nichols events include tours, culinary master-classes, communal lunches, and activities showcasing ethical fishing and traditional pig rearing.
10. East of England Co-operative has launched a new ‘Sourced Locally’ brand in-store. 200 stores across Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex have been using shelf barkers to highlight food miles for some time but they are now broadening the marketing so all local foods are flagged up under the Sourced Locally brand.
11. A new study by The People's Trust for Endangered Species has found that nearly half of England's traditional apple, pear, and cherry orchards have been abandoned or are being neglected. The loss severely threatens rare, historic varieties of fruit such as Sheep's Snout and Slack my Girdle apples.
12. Finally, planning applications are in place for at least six rabbit battery farms across the UK. Britain eats 3,000 tonnes of rabbit meat each year, virtually all of it imported, however many have concerns about the increased traffic and the animal welfare rights. Some state “They are moving away from battery farming in chickens, so it seems like a retrograde step”.

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

Vegetables: asparagus, aubergine, broad beans, broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, cucumber, jersey royal new potatoes, kohlrabi, lettuces and salad leaves, new potatoes, onions, peas, potatoes (main crop), radishes, rhubarb, rocket, samphire, spinach, spring onions, watercress and wild nettles.

Fruit: cherries, elderflowers, raspberries, strawberries and tomatoes.

Herbs: basil, chervil, chives, coriander, dill, elderflowers, mint, mushrooms (cultivated), mushrooms (wild), nasturtium, oregano, parsley (curly), parsley (flat-leaf), rosemary, sage, sorrel and tarragon.

Meat: beef, chicken, lamb, pork, rabbit, turkey, and wood pigeon.

Fish: Cockles, Cod, Coley, Conger Eel, Crab, Herring, John Dory, Lemon Sole, Lobster, Mackerel, Plaice, Pollack, Prawns, Salmon, Sardines, sea trout, shrimp, whelks and whitebait.

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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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On Sonny’s Stall on Tachbrook Street Market

Sonny’s stall once 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, British Asparagus, English Broccoli, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Courgettes, English King Edward Potatoes, Jersey Royal 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. He has also obtained some of the finest tasting British Strawberries and Raspberries we have had in a long time

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Our Local Butcher Freemans (Butchers)

117 Lupus street, sw1v 3en 020 7821 1414),

Are displaying and ordering; The lamb is some of the best we have seen and his beef is well hung, the pork is outdoor reared and has a great taste with the fat to meat ratio spot on, we chose this week to have a small pork loin joint just for the two of us and at £4.25 for the joint we had a good 4 meals from it, The corn-fed chickens looked plump with a nice colour to them; this butcher is very proud of his offerings and has every right to be so.

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Our Local Fishmonger Jon Norris on Tachbrook Street Market

Most all Jon’s fish is from around the Cornish, Devon and Scottish coasts

Jon’s display was as usual a stunning menu of all the best the sea can offer, his Wild Black Bream was simply the best we have seen in a long time and Brown Crab, Haddock, Lemon Sole, Langoustines, Sardines, Sea Bass, and Sea Trout along with Sea Urchins, live Lobster, Brill and Dover Soles and the line caught Mackerel made it very difficult for us to make a choice.

There was Cornish Octopus, Plaice from Scotland so plump and sweet, and we chose for our meal this week some beautiful Cornish Whiting so simple to cook with just a little olive oil and butter cooked in the pan seasoned with salt and pepper and a squeeze of lemon and the served with those fantastic Jersey Royals and divine English asparagus.

We also bought a superb brown crab so we could make my Crab Paté you can find my recipe on MyDish just click on this link Crab Paté

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;

We are not growing a lot this year because of the upcoming work on our windows, we have put in some mixed spicy salad and of course our much-loved Rocket (Arugula) and they are all coming along nicely, as well as our favourite herbs of Parsley, Sage, Mint, and Thyme.

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Recipes for Month

My Crab Paté find it here on MyDish

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Spiced Tempura Asparagus with Asian Dipping Sauce and Cucumber Salad

A tasty Summer treat with all the flavours of Asia

Serves / Makes:      4 servings

You Will Need;

Vegetable oil for deep frying

100 grams, self raising flour

15 grams, paprika

1 teaspoon, sea salt

150ml, sparkling water

16, asparagus spears

For the Dipping Sauce

150ml, light soy sauce

20 grams, garlic, crushed

10 grams, chopped red chilli pepper

2 teaspoons, caster sugar

For the Cucumber Salad

1, Romano pepper seeded and cut into finger length strips

100 grams, sugar snap peas

10 grams, fresh coriander, roughly chopped

1, cucumber cut into finger length strips

Toasted sesame seeds to garnish

Method;

Put the salad ingredients into a large bowl and mix well, using another bowl mix the dipping sauce ingredients and put to one side.

Heat the oil in a large deep pan or fryer to 180°C

Whisk together the flour, paprika and salt with enough sparkling water to make a batter, dip the asparagus spears into the batter until well coated, shake of the excess and place in batches into the hot oil, deep fry for 3 to 4 minutes or until golden and crisp, remove from the oil and drain on kitchen paper.

Place the warm tempura asparagus over a mound of the cucumber salad sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds and along with the dipping sauce serve and Enjoy!

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Spring Lamb Cutlets with a Wild Garlic & Herb Crust

Have you ever made a recipe that smelled so good while it was cooking that you had to leave the kitchen because you wanted to try it before it was done? That's what happens in our house when I make this delicious dish of lamb with fresh herbs, and it's a very simple recipe to follow.

Serves / Makes:        4 servings

Prep-Time:                 8 minutes

Cook-Time:                15 minutes

You Will Need

4 small or 2 large lamb cutlets

For the crust:

50 grams, white bread, torn into chunks

2 tablespoons, wild garlic leaves

1 teaspoon fresh rosemary

1 teaspoon fresh thyme

Salt and pepper

1 tablespoon olive oil

Knob of butter

 

Method

Pre-heat the oven to 220°c.

Heat the olive oil and butter in a heavy frying pan until foaming but not coloured and pan fry the cutlets for a few minutes on each side until browned.

Meanwhile, in a small blender whizz the bread, garlic leaves, rosemary, thyme and salt and pepper.

Press the mixture onto each cutlet, and roast in the oven for 15 minutes.

Serve with Jersey Royal potatoes or new potatoes and buttered primo cabbage and Enjoy!

Notes

If you go down to the woods today, it's likely the smell of wild garlic (ramsons) will fill the air. This wild relative of the chive can be eaten in many ways, both raw and cooked - in soups, salads, or taking basil's place in pesto. In this month's recipe it partners traditional rosemary to flavour some equally seasonal spring lamb

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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, Brown Crab, Cod, Crab, Haddock, Herring, John Dory, Langoustines, Lemon Sole, Plaice, Pollack, Prawns, Salmon, Sardines, Sea Bass, Sea Trout, Shrimp And Whitebait, Beef, Chicken, Lamb, Pork, Basil, Chervil, Chives, Dill, Elderflower, Mint, Nasturtium, Parsley (Curly), Parsley (Flat-Leaf), Sorrel, Cherries, Elderflowers, Strawberries, Asparagus, Aubergine, Broccoli, Carrots, Cauliflower, Jersey Royal New Potatoes, Lettuces And Salad Leaves, New Potatoes, Radishes, Rhubarb, Rocket, Samphire, Spinach, Spring Onions, Watercress, Wild Nettles, food, recipe, Recipes, Cooking, Mutton, Spring Lamb, April, Wild Garlic

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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