J A N UA R Y
Healthy New Year...
The start of a new year is often a good time to reboot and maybe try some healthy
resolutions. Thankfully, plenty of healthy fruit & veg around, including lots of greens and cabbage like these January King Cabbages, grown in the Cotswolds.
As well as adding a little colour, they are packed with phytosterols (plant sterols) and fibre,
which can help keep your digestive system healthy & lower cholesterol. They are real powerhouses - a typical cabbage is likely to contain over 50% of the
recommended daily intake of vitamin C and 85% of the RDI of vitamin K.
May the FORCED be with you...
Due any day now, this unique British product – . Forced Rhubarb
After all these years, growers still rely on tried and tested growing methods, which fundamentally means it is still grown in the dark and picked by candlelight. This stops the natural photosynthesis process and means the rhubarb is a beautiful pink colour. It also means that the glucose remains in the plant’s stems and means it is sweeter and requires no added sugar.
It is grown in the Yorkshire Rhubarb Triangle, which has a Protected Designation of Origin, along with other special UK items such as Jersey Royals and Melton Mowbray Pork Pies.
U K G R O W N . . .
We may have had some really cold and wet days over the past few weeks, but still plenty of great UK grown produce coming through, including, Beetroot [bunched right] Red Kale, Green Kale, Onions, Spring Greens, Watercress, Savoy Cabbage, January King, Parsnips, Carrots, Chantenay Carrots, Celeriac, Leeks, Swede, Piccolo Parsnips, Sprouts, Jacket Potatoes, Maris Piper, King Edwards, Chippers Choice Potatoes, Yukon Gold Potatoes, Red Desiree Potatoes, Pink Fir Potatoes, New Potatoes, Peashoots & Pak Choi.
The UK apples remain good quality especially Gala and Braeburn, which are from Kent, along with Cox and Bramley apples. Conference Pears, again grown in Kent, are delicious.
From Elsewhere...
Whilst we are a few months away from the UK Heritage Tomatoes, there are some stunning ones from France currently, packed full of flavour and sweetness, including Raf Bleu and Bulls Heart.
Also from France are Ornamental Cauliflowers and Romanesque. Although more expensive than the UK squashes, these ‘Delica’ Squashes from Italy
are much sought after this time of year, because of their sugary and nutty flesh.
Also coming from Italy is: Monk’s Beard, Tardivo, Baby Artichokes, Trevise, Cimi di Rapa (Brocoletto), Sicilian (unwaxed) Lemons, Round/Sicilian Aubergines & Punterella.
Blood Oranges remain good quality and these ‘Chocolate’ Oranges are now available (brown skin, orange flesh). Grapes continue to be an issue volume & pricewise as the South African crops and exports are down by over a third.
Leafy Clementines are still going strong and no issues (touch wood) so far with most other melons and bowl fruit. Smaller Juicing Oranges are a little trickier to source which will generally see prices rise a little. With Chinese New Year just around the corner, Lychees are in good supply currently along with many other seasonal ingredients including, Chinese Leaf (Wong-bok), Shi-itake, Enoki, Shimeji, King Oyster Mushrooms, Galangal, Babycorn, Lemongrass, Mooli/Daikon, Pak/Bok Choi.
Wild mushrooms – currently Girolles, Chanterelles and Morels available .
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