Seasonal Update - 16th April 2012

Seasonal Update - 16th April 2012
Wild Harvest UK

Wild Harvest UK

Standard Supplier 16th April 2012
Wild Harvest UK

Wild Harvest UK

Standard Supplier

Seasonal Update - 16th April 2012

Fresh MushroomsMorels coming through strong from Turkey.Chanterelle, Trompette and Pied de Mouton cling on in from The States. Prices are nudging up as crops become scarce.Cep from South Africa remain sporadic, but we are hopeful for a nice surprise this week.We need rain in Portugal or heat in Bulgaria to force a change in this offering!Our excellent pied bleu (blewitt in English) producer is branching into shitake, grey & yellow oyster.We are sampling next week from this small proud supplier. If the quality is as faultless as I expect, we will improve upon our already excellent cultivated mushroom offering.TrufflesAfter several weeks of waiting, now is the time to start getting reacquainted with summer truffles. We’ve been holding off to allow these affordable tubers a chance to get a nose and marbling.Prices will drop & nose will improve as the long season ensues. Summer truffles normally run until late September, when they shake hands with their autumn cousins which take us to the end of the year & the mighty Perigord.FruitsWe are busy checking each box of perfectly ripe Alphonso mangoes before we buy next week. Succulent, almost spicy yellow flesh yielding delicious juice.A vast array of excellent tomatoes as mentioned in previous updates.A cheeky 500ml bottle of pure (but pasteurised) sea buckthorn juice for chefs who appreciate the sharp but complex flavour of this out of season wild berry. VegetablesOur green asparagus supplier is producing some truly excellent champagne rhubarb in the Wye Valley. For those who appreciate the finer things in life this forced crop is truly worth indulging in.Temperatures need to rise to drive asparagus prices down, but the quality is excellent for white, purple and green varieties.We’ve just had an interesting call from one of our foragers in Scotland.As well as supplying us with wild leeks and extending the Alexander season (wild lines start later and go for longer the further north you get) he has tempted me with the following titbits.What he describes as wild leek bobbles. These are the nodules which the flower evolves into. If he finds some at the weekend they make for a unique garnish or to run through bread. If he finds some we will be selling in 100g bags.He hopes to find Hogweed and is in the middle of an experiment forcing this natural gem together with sweet cicely.In the same way that light deprivation civilises white asparagus, sea kale and rhubarb, his hopes are that these two delicious wild products will be altered in an interesting way. Watch this space.Wild spruce & pine shoots are close to being ready, as are the pretty lemon scented wood sorrel leaves.To sit alongside round, basic and baby aubergines we are buying striped aubergines this week - My wife’s favourite roasted with a miso paste!

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