What’s in Season for the Month of April

What’s in Season This Month

Eating seasonally and when possible locally, suggests eating food that is at its prime in terms of taste and nutritional contents, while at the same time cutting down on those food miles.

Every month, I hope to publish on my blog a guide to what's in season the main points are going to be about fresh and locally produced (specifically British) foodstuffs.

What’s in Season for the Month of April

As the spring sun warms the soil, we can look forward to an abundance of wonderful ingredients coming into season over the next few weeks. Instead of rocket, try watercress it works wonders in simple salads, sophisticated salads, with fish and with cheese.

Don't fancy watercress? Other foods good this week include purple sprouting broccoli, radishes, rhubarb, kiwi fruit, wood pigeon, John Dory, and salmon not forgetting the first of the Jersey royal new potatoes

The first herbs are appearing now, allowing us to add some fresher flavours to our food. Look out for wild garlic, chives, sorrel, and rocket.

Fruit and Veg;

From Abel and Cole (Abel and Cole, the Organic Source for London) we have been getting;

Bananas (Fairtrade), Carrots, Celeriac, Celery, Green Lettuce, Leeks, Mandarins, Oranges, Potatoes, and White Onions.

Abel and Coles Blog on Purple Sprouting Broccoli, Purple sprouting broccoli, like asparagus, blood oranges and strawberries, is one of the big treats of the organic food calendar. Unlike our tender friend asparagus, the season for PSB (as we affectionately call it) thankfully runs a little longer making this tasty veg a welcome splash of colour, after months of pastel-hued root veg. Philip le Maistre grows these regal-tipped, tender stems on Manor Farm on the island of Jersey. The farm has spectacular views. Phil says his PSB can grow enormously tall. He bets some of the stems can see clear across the Channel, over to France.

His purple broccoli comes in all sorts of varieties. Claret is very pretty, almost fluorescent pinky-purple in colour. Then, there’s Rudolf, and Red Spear. They’ve all got different characteristics. Some may have a large head, like normal broccoli, with only a few smaller shoots, while some will have lots of smaller shoots with a less dominant head. This, Philip, says keeps the season interesting. Every batch of PSB is unique. We urge you to give it a try, that is, if you haven’t already.

And On the Market Stall in Tachbrook Street, They Are Showing;

Broccoli (at its best), carrots, cauliflower (at its best), chicory, cucumber, kale, leeks, onions, potatoes (main crop), purple sprouting broccoli (at its best), radishes (at its best), rhubarb (at its best), rocket, salsify, spinach (at its best), spring onions, watercress

Meat, Poultry and Game;

Our local butcher (Wyndham House Butchers) has been getting in beef, chicken, spring lamb, pork, rabbit, veal, and wood pigeon. I have to say that the current lot of pork is superb as is the beef, which is well hung and very tasty.

We had some of their English lamb chops last night and the flavour was really intense, just about the best yet.

Fish and Shellfish;

The local fishmonger (Jonathan Norris, Fishmonger of Pimlico) has been getting in cockles (at its best), conger eel (at its best), crab, eel, john dory (at its best), lobster, mackerel, mussels, oysters (Whether you regard them as food of the gods, or spawn of the devil, oysters are a unique culinary experience, and April is the last, best, month to eat them), prawns, salmon (at its best), sea trout (at its best), shrimp (at its best), skate, whitebait (at its best), winkles, again almost all Jon’s fish is from around the Cornish, Devon and Scottish coasts.

And you should be finding

· Wild nettles, basil, chervil, chives, coriander, dill, mushrooms (cultivated), parsley (curly), parsley (flat-leaf), sorrel Artichokes, Chicory, Chives, Dandelion Greens, Grapefruit, Greens, Horseradish, Leeks, Lettuce (leaf and head), Oranges, Parsnips, Rhubarb, Shallots, and Jersey royal new potatoes

· Crab, Haddock, John Dory, Lobster, Mackerel, Monkfish, Prawns, Sea Bass, Sea Salmon, Trout, Turbot

· Beef Steaks, Chicken, Sausages, Spring Lamb (spring lamb is traditionally served with the Easter roast. The taste is milder than summer or autumn lamb and it is deliciously tender).

Recipe for April

Spring Lamb Cutlets with a Wild Garlic Crust

Serves / Makes: 2 servings

Prep-Time: 10 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 new potatoes and buttered curly kale 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.

What’s In Season for the Month of March

Eating seasonally and when possible locally, suggests eating food that is at its prime in terms of taste and nutritional contents, while at the same time cutting down on those food miles.

Every month, I hope to publish on my blog a guide to what's in season, the main points are going to be about fresh and locally produced (specifically British) foodstuffs.

What’s In Season for the Month of MarchIt’s a bit early for most spring vegetables but there is plenty of Purple Sprouting Broccoli about, Spring greens are also plentiful and Scottish wild salmon is back in season.

March is a tricky month for the chef, as there's nothing new on the home grown front however at least leeks and potatoes are plentiful and tasty, and both compete for the title of most adaptable vegetable.

Fruit and Veg;

From Abel and Cole (Abel and Cole, The Organic Source for London) we have been getting really tasty Fair-trade Bananas, Beetroot, Broccoli, Carrots, Celery, Green Lettuce, Portobello Mushrooms (From The Hearne Family), Potatoes, Fennel, and White Onions.

And on the market stall in Tachbrook Street, they are showing Artichokes (new season from Italy), Asparagus (new season from Spain), Chicory, Chives, Dandelion Greens, Grapefruit, Greens, Horseradish, Leeks, Lettuce (leaf and head), Oranges, Parsnips, Peas, Rhubarb, and Shallots.

Meat, Poultry and Game;

Our local butcher (Wyndham House Butchers) has been getting in Beef, Chicken, Pork, Guinea Fowl, Rabbit, Turkey, Wood Pigeon and all are available at their place in Borough Market.

Fish and Shellfish;

The local fishmonger (Jonathan Norris, Fishmonger of Pimlico) has been supplying us Cockles, Conger Eel, Crab, Dabs, Dover Sole, Eel, Hake, John Dory, Lemon Sole, Lobster, Mackerel, Mussels, Oysters, Prawns, Salmon, Scallops, Sea Trout, Shrimp, Skate, Whitebait, Not to Mention Nice Large Cod and Haddock. Most of Jon’s fish is caught in Cornish and Devon waters as well as the abundant Scottish waters.

Recipe for March

 

Megrim Sole with Brown Butter, Capers, Lemon, and Parsley

We love it grilled or roasted whole with plenty of butter, olive oil, parsley and lemon and served with steamed or boiled new potatoes and fresh garden peas mixed with baby broad beans Consumers frequently fail to see megrim because of its unfamiliar name. It is usually caught off the Cornish coast, the Irish Sea and is frequently found in Scottish waters.

Serves / Makes:           2 servings

Prep-Time:                   5 minutes

Cook-Time:                 8 to 10 minutes

You Will Need;

800 grams, Megrim sole, either whole on the bone or 4 x 200g megrim sole fillets, trimmed and skinned, if you have a good relationship with your fishmonger why not ask him to do this for you?

2 tablespoons, plain flour for dusting

1 pinch sea salt

1 pinch, freshly ground pepper

1 tablespoon, vegetable oil

40 grams, salted butter

½ lemon

1 tablespoon, chopped parsley

2 teaspoons baby capers

Method;

Season the flour, coat the sole both sides with the flour and knock off any excess, we find it best to put the flour into a bag and then add the fish and gently shake until the fish is coated.

Heat the oil in a large well seasoned or a non–stick frying pan, add the sole, lower the heat slightly, and add 20 grams of butter, fry on a moderate heat for 4 to 5 minutes, turn over, and allow to cook through.

Lift the fish on to serving plate and keep warm. Now wipe the frying pan clean, and add the remaining butter and allow to melt over a moderate heat, once the butter starts to froth and smell nutty and it turns a light brown, add the lemon juice, capers, and parsley. Check the seasoning and pour the brown butter over the sole. 

Serve with a lemon wedge and Enjoy!

Notes:

Pan frying fish, The French call it "sauté,” it's a great way of cooking most types of fish fillets as well as some whole fish. Pat the fish dry with clean kitchen paper and make 3 or 4 shallow slashes across the skin side of the fish and portion the fillets if necessary.

Heat a non-stick frying pan or skillet until hot, add a little olive or sunflower oil. Lay the fish into the pan away from you skin side down so that any oil that might splash from the pan doesn't burn you.

Allow the fish to start to crisp up, turn the heat down and allow it to cook until almost finished cooking; then leave the fish in the pan for a couple of minutes to finish cooking. If you are cooking fillets, turn them over on to the flesh side and immediately turn the heat off. There will be sufficient residual heat in the pan to finish the cooking process.

If you are cooking a whole fish, place the pan into a hot oven (200C / 380-400F) and leave until cooked; this will depend on the thickness of the fish. Squeeze Lemon juice over the fish and season to taste with sea salt and black pepper, add extra virgin olive oil to taste.

As the fillets of fish start to cook, the cut sides will change colour from raw opaque to creamy white cooked. The more that the colour changes the closer to being cooked they are, when light pressure on a fillet starts to separate its flakes, it is cooked.

LiveJournal Tags: What’s in Season,Seasonal Recipes,Seasonal Foodstuffs,Abel and Cole,Tachbrook Street Market,Wyndham House Butchers,Jonathan Norris,Fishmongers,Butchers,Greengrocers,Fruiterers,Fish,Shellfish,Seafood,Sole Recipes,Dover,Lemon,Megrim,Witch (Torbay),Flounder,Dabs,Black,and Petrale sole

Abel and Cole The Organic Source for London

 

The Glens Tags: Organic, Produce, London, Astrochef

Organic, Produce, London, Astrochef

We have been using Abel & Cole since the 31^st of January 2008 and have yet to find a negative aspect of this so wonderful company who offer a good quality selection of fruit, vegetables, meats, fish, dairy products, bread, store cupboard items and deli items, not forgetting ethical cleaning bits and pieces

With our very first order we chose the mixed organic fruit and veg box at £14.80 and we still get it, it is now only £15.95 still extremely fantastic value considering the current prices for organic fruit and veg in the supermarkets in fact Abel and Cole are consistently lower in price that the leading supermarkets.

The delivery used to be free and it is only in the last 2 months that they have had to start asking for 99p yes a whole 99 pence for delivery and speaking about the delivery each area of London is given a delivery day ours is Wednesday and our delivery is always made before 8am, the driver knows that I am up very early (05:30) and Molly usually lets the driver in to the apartment block at about 06;30 on her way out.

I have just got to mention the receipt they send with your order not only a receipt but a recipe card, a newsletter and other relevant info.

You will find that when ordering you can choose from just one time deliveries, weekly, every 2 weeks or for just one item every 8 weeks in fact Abel and Cole go out of their way to accommodate your delivery wishes.

We have a regular delivery every three weeks of the mixed organic fruit and veg box, organic eggs and the organic chicken legs at around £3.50 for a pack of 2. The weekend before our delivery we go online to see the special offers and order the extras we want for the next week or two, we spend on average £25 to £50 pounds every 3 weeks for a good 2 to 3 weeks worth of meals. It is a great service for fresh produce and home delivery

You can also say what you like and dislike in the fruit, veg and salad boxes and if there is something you don’t like it won’t appear in your box, it will be replaced with something else, it would be nice to state what you would like but remember they can only put in what the farmer has supplied they won’t accept and the farmer won’t supply substandard produce so trust them they really do know what they are doing.

The website is very easy to use, and you can see a week in advance what will be in your box, so you can add any extras you need and plan your meals. You can also see exactly what it will cost. You can add in your holidays on the website as well so they know when you don't need a delivery.

After a long wait they have a cookbook too It's called 'Cooking Outside the Box, The Abel and Cole Seasonal, Organic Cookbook'. You can order through their website or through amazon.co.uk

As a chef I believe that the fruit, veg and meats and fish that they supply can really inspire the whole family in the kitchen and being a chef I just have a thing about the reality that everything supplied is in its own season just as it should be. Abel and Cole demonstrate you can get first-class, traditional service from an internet based company.

To conclude the quality of produce is a cut above the supermarkets organic ranges, and thus far it really works out slightly more easy on the pocket.This is a company that knows how to care for its patrons and I can't commend it highly enough.