Market Report - UK seasonal update 21 July 2014

In association with

  We are in the final full week of July. Whilst minds will be flitting to the start of the game season on the Glorious 12th of August & indeed Christmas menus, let’s take a moment to enjoy the sunshine and the crops it brings to the table.  

Wild Mushrooms & Truffles

Girolles in both infant and teenage sizes from Eastern Europe. Fantastic apricot & pine scented box fresh Scottish girolles. Terribly good trompette de la mort from Bulgaria. Summer truffles are still in good supply and are fully ripe now. Abundance=value.

Fruits

My one year old boy cannot pass our fruit bowl without extending a pale arm to claim a five finger discount. Stone fruits have now had enough sun to be called ripe, and should continue until the end of August when the first decent plums join the party. Here’s a brief spot of bullet pointing highlighting just some of our fruity friends in top form right now:

• Cherries
• Peaches & nectarines in various forms
• Apricots
• Charentais melons
• Red & green gooseberries
• More fine tomato varieties than you could throw a growbag at

 

Vegetables

  Courgettes and aubergines are both in good supply in their round forms. It would be daft to create a summer menu without a nod to summer holidays. What could be nicer than giving one of these a good stuffing. OK the English language can be intrinsically crude sometimes. Call it a farcie or ripieni if you like, and borrow from the romantic languages where the dishes originate from. AOC status Coco de Paimpol beans are in full flow. A perfect fresh addition to a light broth, bringing texture and substance.   As above with fruit, here’s a staccato briefing on some savoury plant life in great form: •             Baby artichokes •             Wild fennel •             Fresh borlotti beans •             Peas •             Boad beans •             Baby veg at peak seasonal availability  

Ambient Corner

Our Iranian saffron is both price conscious and consistently excellent. Enjoy its high colour yield and delightful flavour profile when spiking a summer broth, or create a masterful risotto Milanese.