Showing posts with label Seafood. Show all posts

Tuesday, 19 July 2011

July, What’s in Season This Month

To us July means long warm lazy days spent outside having picnics or barbeques, not had much luck this July with the picnics or barbeques however the variety, and quality of the fresh food available, from home grown produce to the imported foods are simply the best.

The salad leaves such as lamb’s lettuce, lollo rosso, oak leaf lettuce, curly endive and frisee, are wonderful simply served with a little lemon juice and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, or do as we do mix extra virgin olive oil with a little walnut or hazelnut oil for an extra special taste.

Berries are in season along with strawberries, loganberries, redcurrants, blackcurrants, tayberries, melon and peaches, and blackberries make their first appearance,

Sweetcorn, broccoli, beetroot, and courgettes come into season as well as summer cabbage, spring cabbage, new potatoes, broad beans, fennel, the first outdoor French beans, tomatoes, watercress, new cauliflower, carrots, lettuce, cucumber.

Seafood lovers can enjoy fresh, seasonal scallops.

Fruit at Its Best

Apricots, Bilberries, Blackberries, Blueberries, Cherries, Gooseberries, Greengages, Loganberries, Peaches, Raspberries, Redcurrants, Strawberries, Tomatoes And Whitecurrants.

Vegetables at Their Best

Artichoke, Aubergine, Beetroot, Broad Beans, Broccoli, Carrots, Chillies, Courgettes, Cucumber, Fennel, French Beans, Garlic, Kohlrabi, Lettuces And Salad Leaves, Mangetout, New Potatoes, Onions, Peas, Potatoes (Maincrop), Radishes, Rocket, Runner Beans, Spring Onions, Turnips And Watercress.

Herbs: Basil, Chives, Dill, Mint, Oregano, Parsley (Curly), Parsley (Flat-Leaf), Rosemary, Sage, Sorrel, Tarragon, And Thyme.

Meat, Poultry and Game at Its Best

Beef, Chicken, Lamb, Pork, Rabbit, and Wood Pigeon.

Fish and Seafood at Its Best

Cod, Crab, Dover Sole, Haddock, Halibut, Herring, John Dory, Lemon Sole, Lobster, Mackerel, Monkfish, Plaice, Pollack, Prawns, Salmon, Sardines, Scallops, Sea Bass, Sea Bream, Sea Trout, Shrimp, Whelks And Whitebait.

The Latest Grocery News for July 2011

Consumers will have to be told where most of their meat comes from under new EU food labelling rules. The European Parliament has approved new food labelling laws designed to help consumers make more informed choices. Beef already had country-of-origin labelling but this is now being extended to poultry, pork and lamb. The new system will be implemented over the next 5 years. But consumers hoping to see country of origin marked on dairy produce and on processed meat such as sausages and ready meals will have to wait as EU ministers rejected including these in the new rules. So you still don't know if that British banger, Cottage Pie or ice cream really is British.

Sainsbury's gave away 6 tonnes of sustainable fish this month as part of its Switch the Fish initiative. Sainsbury's offered free portions of 6 alternative sustainable fish species to shoppers asking for cod, haddock, tuna, salmon or prawns at its fish counters. Rainbow trout emerged the UK's favourite ‘alternative fish’!

Londis has pledged to get its British strawberries on shelf nation-wide just 36 hours after picking – a commitment that beats the large supermarket chains by 12 hours!

Asda is claiming it stocks over 6,000 local products in partnership with more than 600 suppliers. The supermarket says it is working with some of the smallest UK suppliers to give them the opportunity to grow their businesses and at the same time increase the amount of local products available in its 400 stores.

An array of celebrity chefs – including Jamie Oliver, Aldo Zilli and Raymond Blanc – have all signed up to a new campaign to promote British pork. A new recipe book, ‘Choose It and Use It’, has been launched featuring the chefs’ pork, ham and sausage recipes and encouraging shoppers to buy Red Tractor-assured British pork.

England's vineyards have grown 75 per cent to more than 1,300 hectares in the last 7 years.

The Women's Institute is gearing up to launch its first range of WI-branded food! The range will include the obligatory jams and baked goods and cakes all ‘home-grown with British produce’

Asda is stocking a new premium East Anglian potato, Norfolk Peer, from Heygate Farms, which is said to be ‘smaller and tastier’ than other new potatoes.

A quarter of all British pigs are now being reared to Freedom Food standards. The rise in Freedom Food pigs and pork products highlights the demand for higher-welfare pork products, even in economically hard times.

Sainsbury's has announced increased prices to its pig farmers will continue until the end of August at 3p extra per kilo. Sainsbury's originally stated they would review their commitment once DAPP reached £1.50 per kilo but when the DAPP reached this figure earlier this month Sainsbury's decided to continue its support.

UK pear growers will soon be tapping into the premium market for Sweet Sensation pears. AG Thames, a supplier of top fruit to the multiples, is creating the first UK orchard for Sweet Sensation in Kent and produce is hoped to hit retailer's shelves by next year. Sweet Sensation pears have been sold in small quantities in the UK for several years, but have always previously been imported from the Netherlands and Belgium.

Trade talks have officially opened up the lucrative Chinese market to pork exports. Pork prices are currently at a record high in China and there's a fantastic opportunity to improve the returns from selling all parts of the pig, which is much-needed as pig prices in the UK still lag behind the cost of production. China has also lifted the ban on British poultry exports but the beef and lamb sector are still waiting to gain direct access to the Chinese market.

Worthington's Ale has been certified by the Red Tractor assurance scheme. Worthington's ales are made using 100 per cent British barley sourced from Red Tractor-certified suppliers!

Welsh MEP, John Bufton, has hit out against the EU's labelling rules which prevent meat under the age of 24 months being labelled as ‘Welsh’ despite Scottish farmers being able to use country of origin labels on meat of any age. The disparity in the labelling rules is the result of the wording of Wales and Scotland's applications for Protected Geographical Indicator (PGI) scheme.

Red Lion Foods, which has raised £400,000 for Help for Heroes and other charities, has admitted it cannot guarantee its products are from the UK despite its patriotic packaging. A typical package of Red Lion ham reads ‘Support our UK Forces. Purchase this ham” on the front but on the back reads ‘cooked and packed in the UK using pork from the EU and South America’. Make sure you read the fine print labels!

Dates for Your Diary:

British Food Fortnight 17th September – 2nd October 2011, British Food Fortnight is the biggest national celebration of the diverse and delicious range of food that Britain produces.

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.

On Sonny’s Stall on Tachbrook Street Market

On this stall they have it all, Artichoke, Aubergine, Beetroot, Broad Beans, Broccoli, Carrots, Chillies, Courgettes, Cucumber, Fennel, French Beans, Garlic, Kohlrabi, Lettuces And Salad Leaves, Mangetout, New Potatoes, Onions, Peas, Potatoes (Maincrop), Radishes, Rocket, Runner Beans, Spring Onions, Turnips And Watercress.

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

Be prepared on sunny days to have to wait your turn, although they can move pretty fast when they have to.

Freeman’s of Lupus Street, Our Local Butchers have been getting in

Some outstanding chicken with a superb texture and colour and it’s at the right price too!

Chicken is the definitive healthy convenience food; it cooks up fast and is an excellent source of protein to help keep you feeling full. We like boneless, skinless chicken breasts because they're a real diet bargain at 140 calories and 3 grams of fat per 3-ounce serving. But don't rule out dark meat, while it's slightly higher in fat and calories (174 calories and 8 grams of fat per 3-ounce serving), it has a richer flavour and stays moister than white meat, plus, there's more iron and almost twice the zinc, not bad for a small increment in calories.

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

Most all Jon’s fish is from around the Cornish, Devon and Scottish coasts, and there’s a great selection of fish being landed at local Cornish ports of Looe and Newlyn on the south coast and Newquay on the north coast at the moment.

Jon’s stall was a picture, not only did we see Line-Caught Mackerel direct Cornwall, there was also some superb quality Bass, Brill, Monkfish, lovely large fish which remain it seems are in great demand and don’t forget those silver jewels of the west coast the Sardine fantastic on the BBQ or under the grill.

Silver Mullet, in season now, is jam packed with flavour and Bass, Hake, Haddock, and Pollack all remain in season, We can't recommend the Wild Black Bream highly enough, it's fantastic! And the Gurnard is a really tasty, underrated fish, why not give it a try? At the moment Crab is exceptionally flavoursome and it would be near the top of our list from all the shellfish Jon has to offer at this time of year, his Lobsters are also fantastic, and don’t forget Jon’s smoked fish offerings you can’t go wrong.

Jon’s tips to buying fish and shellfish;

Fresh Whole Fish

The eyes should be clear and convex, not sunken
The flesh should be firm and resilient to finger pressure
The fish should smell freshly and lightly of the sea
Don’t buy fish with a strong ‘fishy’ or sulphurous odour, or that smells of ammonia.
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

The surface of the fillet should be moist, with no signs of discolouration.
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.
As with whole fish, the smell should be fresh and light, with no ‘off’ odours.
Live bi-valves (including mussels, clams and oysters)
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.

In The Garden

Nothing this month except for greenfly

Recipes for July,

Our recipes for summer can be found at MyDish just click on the links;

Molly’s Egg and Bacon Salad, Bacon and eggs are not just for breakfast, try them this way for a starter or brunch its a very tasty dish

Californian Cioppino, A generous seafood spectacular of crab, clams, mussels, monkfish, calamari, shrimp, and tomatoes braised in a fennel perfumed stew, served with fresh crusty sourdough

Lamb Steaks with Rosemary and Redcurrant Glaze

Mmm Lamb and rosemary! The redcurrant glaze tastes so good. Good idea for the BBQ as well.

John & Maureen Glen Tags: London, Pimlico, Tachbrook, Summer, “Seasonal Recipes”, “Seasonal Foodstuffs”, “Tachbrook Street Market”, “Jonathan Norris”, Fishmongers, Butchers, Freeman’s, Alhayat, Greengrocers, Fruiterers, July, “What’s in Season”, markets, shops, supermarkets

Saturday, 18 June 2011

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.

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.

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.

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.

Fruit at Its Best

Apricots, cherries, Strawberries, and gooseberries

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.

Meat, Poultry and Game at Its Best

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

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.

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

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

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

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.

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.

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Jon’s tips to buying fish and shellfish;

Fresh Whole Fish

The eyes should be clear and convex, not sunken
The flesh should be firm and resilient to finger pressure
The fish should smell freshly and lightly of the sea
Don’t buy fish with a strong ‘fishy’ or sulphurous odour, or that smells of ammonia.
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

The surface of the fillet should be moist, with no signs of discolouration.
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.
As with whole fish, the smell should be fresh and light, with no ‘off’ odours.
Live bi-valves (including mussels, clams and oysters)
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.

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.

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

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

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!

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

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

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!

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

Sunday, 6 March 2011

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

Fruit At Their Best This Month Are:

Apples, Forced Rhubarb, Pears

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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!

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