WHAT’S IN SEASON!

26th March 2020

At long last winter is on its way out. Everywhere we turn buds are swelling, crocuses are nudging through the grass and there’s a breath of sunshine on the breeze. We can’t wait for the foodie bounties that Spring brings with it. We pride ourselves on our focus on seasonal ingredients and whilst times are uncertain currently, there is still so much to look forward to this spring. More time at home means we have more time to spend in the kitchen, cooking up a range of seasonal dishes guaranteed to delight.

For those who need some inspiration on cooking tasty but healthy dishes, we have compiled a list of special ingredients due to grace our supermarkets this spring.

Every year we look forward to the Jersey Royal season and this year is no exception. Grown on the island of Jersey for 140 years there are just 20 farmers harvesting these little potatoes, and the best season to buy them is from April until June. Jersey’s soil is light and aerated, with many farmers using seaweed harvested from the beach as a natural fertiliser. We love their texture and depth of flavour and can’t wait to get cooking (eating!).

Another seasonal favourite of ours has to be asparagus. Fresh really is best with this delightful spring perennial, so enjoying British asparagus is a treat to be relished during its brief season. The season starts of St George’s Day (23rd April) and lasts for about 8 weeks. When the spear reaches the optimum height it’s carefully cut by hand so as to preserve the precious crown for years to come. The cool, crisp weather we’ve experienced over this winter season means we can expect a bumper crop!

Nutbourne is a family run nursery in West Sussex growing the most incredible tomatoes. Specialising in heritage and unusual varieties such as Pigeon Heart, Ox Heart and Pineapple Marmande, we think their tomatoes are the best there is. All of their vines are pollinated by bees and are insecticide free. Amazingly the vines grow up to 30 ft long through the season, with an average of 2 ft a week. That’s a lot of tomatoes!

Soon the woods will be suffused with the telltale scent of garlic as the ransoms (wild garlic) grow. This wild plant is an adaptable ingredient – the delicate white flowers are quite as delicious as the lush green leaves. It can be put to good use in your kitchen along with other seasonal treats, such as purple sprouting broccoli (PSB to the cognoscenti), savoy cabbage and all manner of radishes.

The seasonal bounty isn’t contained just to vegetables. When it comes to cheese, you’ll be spoilt for choice. This season we are urging food lovers to focus on some beautiful and varied cheeses such as Tor Pyramid, Rutland Red, Kentish Blue, Tunworth and Winter Dale Cheddar.

With all this and more heading into your kitchen, we’re confident that a season of foodie delight lies ahead of us, so get stuck in!

WHAT’S IN SEASON!

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