Don’t miss the damson crop: fantastic for jam making, in a smoothie or simply to enjoy in the sun.
Bloomin’ Lovely TOM SMART S
Carrots are best straight from the earth when their abundance of vitamins is preserved. Why not try mashed with a little garlic and butter, or combined with lentils for a quick and easy soup.
eptember truly is a special month. For many it stands tall as a gateway to the winter months, its
passageways laden with hope of some late sunshine before the winter months beckon the family indoors.
For FOODLOVERs however it is not so dramatic. September, and the onset of Autumn, brings with it a transitional glut of flavours, with the last of the summer crops harvested alongside the first of the winter staples, providing potential flavour combinations only possible at this stage of the year. There is very little sowing to carry out for the grower, with only winter lettuces such as Arctic King suitable to bed ready for spring. Instead it is a period of mass harvest, with the dwindling daylight hours utilised in full to stockpile a wealth of fruit and vegetables so diverse in colour, flavour and texture that one need only sit back and admire.
Courgettes are ideal for barbecuing, weather permitting! For an indoor option, drizzle with oil and roast for 20 minutes or indulge in a courgette cake.
The transition is clear to see: as the last of the summer berries are plucked from their bushes, the first of the main potato crop is dug from the ground. The summer marrows, cucumbers and courgettes give way to the autumnal heavyweight, butternut squash, while the Great British apple season, which traditionally commences in early August, is in full swing. The apple was considered a luxury by the Romans Empire, however with ever-changing eating habits led by year-round availability of more exotic offerings, the humble apple sometimes appears overlooked. But we are on the cusp of a further transition, and as an island we are now starting to celebrate our apples more than ever. There have been problems
30 | THE WESTCOUNTRY FOODLOVER
with the apple harvest this year, with the rain washing much of the early blossom from the trees, but there is still plenty to enjoy. As a fruit they are considerably more versatile than most people realise – wonderful grated into mashed potato, or as a good old-fashioned apple crumble. If you are short on ideas, why not try making pork and apple burgers?
The traditional winter greens of cabbages and sprouts are also now in plentiful abundance, and this will surely persuade a large percentage of FOODLOVERs that it is time to pack away the barbecue, switch on the oven and commence the Sunday Roast. This time of year should be taken as an opportunity to experiment in the kitchen, as each and every individual seeks out the perfect recipe in good time to wow family and friends at the roasting pinnacle of the year – Christmas Dinner. Cabbage, like its close friend the sprout, often invokes life-like memories of school dinners and platefuls of overcooked greens. But there is so much to love about the cabbage, and its versatility, much like the apple, is often overlooked. It compliments almost any meat, whether shredded in a stir-fry, or, if you prefer a more
traditional turn, try frying a little crushed garlic in butter with bacon lardons in a pan, add the cabbage with a little rosemary and cover for 5 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally until the cabbage is tender. There is so much to inspire any FOODLOVER at this time of year, so turn the pages for some seasonal recipes and read reports from local farmers, who have put down on paper the current situation in the field’s from which we dine.
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