It’s November already, somehow. We haven’t had a frost here yet in the south of England, but the first of those will put an end to any salads and herbs still hanging on. In their place come the hardier winter vegetables – cabbage, cauliflower, potatoes, carrots, leeks, sprouts, swede and parsnips. Look out for pumpkins too, while apples, pears and quinces round out the fruit.
If you’re foraging, there should still be plenty of varities of mushroom available, including puffball, honey fungus and oyster mushroom. If wild mushrooms aren’t your thing, perhaps hazelnuts, walnuts and sweet chestnuts are a better starting place.
How to tell a sweet chestnut from a conker? The chestnuts are almost triangular and pointed, and come in twos or threes in a green burr that’s much spikier than a conker pod. You can split them and roast them, or for a traditional recipe, steep them in hot water, peel off the skins, and then fry them up with sprouts and bacon. If you’re really keen, they can even be ground up to make a gluten-free flour.
