In Season this month:
Apples, Beetroot, Brussels Sprouts, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Celeriac, Celery, Clementine, Date, Jerusalem Artichokes, Kale, Leeks, Onions, Oranges, Pak Choi, Parsnips, Pomegranate, Swede, Sweet Potato, Turnip
Do you know why it’s important to eat seasonally?
Quite simply, when you eat locally and seasonally you know you are eating the freshest, most abundantly available produce. It is better for everyone. You get the tastiest veg, the local farmer benefits and food miles (the distance our food has to travel from the farm to your fork) decreases so you get to save the environment, too.
Another unexpected benefit is to reconnect to nature’s seasonal cycle. If you have children, this is especially important as it teaches that food does grow at specific times, which is a hard concept to grasp when imports from all around the globe ensure that supermarket shelves look the same practically every week of the year.
A survey in BBC Good Food magazine showed we’re not as good as we think at figuring out what is in season when.
Of the 2000 people it asked, 86% claimed it was important to shop seasonally, 78% said they were doing it
Yet only 5% could say when blackberries were at their best.
I want to help make 2022 the year you embrace the seasons and get the very best from your produce all year round. The likelihood is that you’ll be making friends with some new ingredients but that’s part of the fun. Some wise person said that magic lies outside your comfort zone and that may very well be true if you are willing to try.
Do you know why it’s important to eat seasonally?
Farmers’ markets are a great place to find local seasonal veg. Make it your mission this month to find out what’s on near you.
Hands down the best resource for finding produce is
https://www.bigbarn.co.uk/local-food-map/
Maybe you already know where your nearest farmers’ market is, and maybe you don’t. I love a good browse.
This might help you discover yours:
Picking your own
Picking your own is a great way to get local fruit that’s fresh as it can be. It’s also a fun day out for the family – kids love picking their own strawberries (and maybe eating a few along the way). They also get to learn where the fruit comes from.
You’ll find some PYO details listed on Big Barn but also check out this resource –
Don’t forget local markets
It’s well worth checking out your local traditional street markets and covered markets. You might be surprised how much local food you find. Market stalls are not much different from traditional specialists like butchers, bakers, greengrocers and fishmongers, and with similar produce. It’s still worth trawling your local supermarket – Co-Op, Booths and Waitrose have a good track record of selling local produce…
Consider veg box schemes
Having someone else do the hard work and just bring you the goodies is also a good thing. If you’ve never considered getting an organic veg box, it can be an amazing experience. It’ll teach you super-fast what is in season when, you’ll get some of the best produce available in your area and delivered to your door, and it will wake you up to the magic of cooking.
I wonder whether this resonates with you. I actually LOVE cooking but it can sometimes feel like a chore; a juggling act between what everyone wants to eat, what I have actually got in the fridge or cupboards. Ordering a veg box forces you to try something new, and this can be very invigorating.
Of course, you can pick and choose the types of ingredients you want, but I urge you to try some things you have been too cautious of in the past. Try them and see what happens!
Why not check one of these veg box suppliers out:
Or you can find one that is local to you at www.foodboxfinder.co.uk