Market Report - UK Seasonal update 9 September 2013

In association with

  Good morning chef, Fresh Wild Mushrooms To coin a football phrase, we are exhibiting strength and depth this week. A wild mushroom agent proudly presented “French cepes (wormy 20%): €21” on their offering today. We shan’t be buying those ones. Here’s what we have lined up instead: Cep - fom France and Romania Chanterelle Jaune - the arrival of the magnificent yellow-legged autumn chanterelle from Spain Medium and Mini Girolles - from Russia and still lovely Trompette - from Bulgaria Pied de Mouton - from Bulgaria That’s the first team. On the bench but likely to make an appearance before full time we have: Scottish girolles Giant puffballs Cauliflower fungus Chicken of the wood Albatrellus aka Forest Lamb or sheep polypore mushroom Truffles Summer truffles cling on for a further few days. Very soon (possibly mid-week) the Italians will call them autumn truffles and ramp up prices. We have heard whispers of whites. I normally like to hold fire until the start of October for the magnificent tuber magnatum, but if the quality is there we will go early this year. Fruit Flat, white, blood and yellow peaches and nectarines Cherries switch to the US Kentish cob nuts continue for at least another week Crab apples Damson plums Greengages Mirabelle plums The first good English Victoria and Jubileum plums Lovely and dirt cheap Turkish black figs Charentais melons Muscat grapes Quince And an almost out-of-control range of tomatoes, if you want to get pedantic about fruit and veg classification Vegetables Round aubergines The ever-popular crapaudine, candy and golden beets Coloured carrots Swiss and rainbow chard Purple sprouting broccoli Potimarron squash Fresh coco beans Artichokes galore Lovely borlotti beans Brightly coloured cauliflowers Golden turnips Our virtually year-round spread of foraged sea vegetables Lovely waxy Ratte potatoes A plethora of salad leaves, and in essence more fruit and veg than you could shake a yellow courgette at Game The delicious and eminently affordable red-legged partridge is now in full flow. My favourite game bird, the wild mallard duck, has technically started, but we will wait a couple of weeks for size to increase. Little did I know when feeding mallards with stale bread as a boy that I’d be tucking into their plucked and roasted ancestors with a light Madeira jus some years later, and having infinitely more fun with the latter activity. We have affordable port and Madeira in handy tapped boxes to complete your dish. What more can you ask of nature, eh? For more details of the autumnal bounty, call the team on 020 7498 5397. Have a great week.