This week's market report from Wild Harvest features black autumn truffles, quince and purple sprouting broccoli as well as a whole host of other fruit and vegetables currently in season which you can see below:
Wild Mushrooms & Truffles
- Splashes of fresh cep from Romania & France (eyes peeled for Polish beauties)
- Some welcome giant puffballs from one of our foragers
- Chanterelle gris & jaune from various central European locations
- Trompette & pied de mouton are also popping up in different nations
- Russia cling onto girolle supply, but the first frost means curtains for this summer fave
After a jumpy start black autumn truffles are now flowing nicely.
We are trading white truffles, but a week or two is needed before the aroma dominates a large airy room.
Fruits
Muscat and chasselas grapes are lovely, as are Turkish black figs.
Quince have started. For sure they are dry and spongy raw. Cooked down with sugar and garnished with pistachios and a trendy dairy quenelle of your choice they are both different and delicious.
English apples are in great shape, and I’ll make no apology for mentioning the mighty English Cox until they drop off the seasonal availability list.
We’ve bought a couple of boxes of clementines as Spain has now started.
Sugar levels are not quite right, and some of the fruit have a green tinge.
By the time I update again in two week’s time we may well be all good on the clem front.
Anyway, as seasonal shifts are hardly seismic as we enter Winter, here’s the background behind the name.
It’s thought that the clementine exists through naural hybridisation, rather than a result of a clever Dutchman tinkering with nature.
A French man of the cloth called Brother Clément Rodier is said to be the first European to discover the fruit in his Algerian orphanage.
As with most fruits China is thought to be the source.
Fresh chestnuts are now readily available, and pears are getting closer to being edible raw.
Vegetables
The first crosnes aka Japanese artichokes have hit the markets. Prices will drop. I know I roll this story out every year, but my colleague’s description of his family cooking off this prized root in the juices of a roasting goose sums up the opulence of Christmas dining for me.
Purple sprouting broccoli is currently lovely.
Rainbow and swiss chard are both solid.
Adult and baby carrots and beets are available in various colours.
Chervil and parsley root add a herbal high note to your purees.
Radishes, cauliflowers and kohlrabi are all good.
Squash availability in a myriad of forms is peaking. Yes, we will be selling carving pumpkins. Call me a killjoy but the idea of using something edible as a decoration upsets me slightly.
I’d rather to settle down to a truffled iron bar pumpkin soup with some goats cheese croutons wearing a scary mask than abuse a squash.
Game
We have now started supplying pheasants alongside other furred and feathered British game. They represent excellent value for money.
Call in on 020 7498 5397 to speak to the team about what other treats we have in store for you today. Visit the website here.
