“More people than ever before in history have absolutely no involvement in producing the foods that sustain them” writes Gary Paul Nabhan in the introduction to Coming Home to Eat: The pleasures and politics of local food. Consequently, local specialities and varieties are lost. We forget what good food is and we settle for processed… [Read more…]
December 4, 2009
I set myself the challenge of eating more seasonally in December 07, so this is the two-year mark. It’s become a habit, more or less, and a rewarding one at that. Eating seasonally means you’re getting the best of everything, the freshest and tastiest of what’s in the shops at any given time. It’s more… [Read more…]
November 5, 2009
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… [Read more…]
October 2, 2009
I can’t quite believe it’s October already, but that makes it apple season. Shame on you if you’re not buying local English apples at this time of year. Stock up on aubergines, cauliflower and courgettes while you can, before they’re over for this year and replaced with new season artichokes, brussel sprouts, and celeriac. Red… [Read more…]
September 7, 2009
We’re almost a week into September and I haven’t posted this month’s seasonal update. Lots to enjoy at this time of year though, particularly fruit: apples, plums, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries and greengages (any other fruits named after a colour?) We still have hundreds of tomatoes in the garden. Lots of saladstuffs too, lettuce, cucumber, celery,… [Read more…]
August 1, 2009
August returns, the seasonal eating bonanza. The patio courgettes are growing faster than we can eat them, and there will be peppers and aubergine in the next couple of weeks. Sweetcorn is in, lettuce, lots of herbs, and leeks and peas. The main crop of carrots, potatoes and onions are being harvested and stored, and tree… [Read more…]
July 15, 2009
I may have mentioned that Lou and I went to visit Mike Guerra’s permaculture garden a few weeks back. Lou interviewed Mike as part of a mini-series for the gardening programme on BBC Three Counties Radio, and then re-cut the audio for a short documentary about permaculture. You can listen to it on the Ecologist… [Read more…]
July 1, 2009
It’s July, which is a feast of a month. Here’s what’s in season right now: Aubergine, broccoli, cabbage, carrot, cauliflower, courgette, cucumber, leek, lettuce, onions, peas, potato, radish, shallot, sweetcorn, tomatoes. Loads of fruit available too, with apples, blackberries, blackcurrants, cherries, pears and plums. Foragers will be on the look-out for seaweeds such as sea… [Read more…]
June 1, 2009
June sees a wealth of new seasonal foods, after the lean patch of May. The summer fruits arrive, with strawberries, blackcurrants, cherries and raspberries. Early tomato varieties will begin to fruit, although mine are a way off yet. On the vegetable side, asparagus continues, and beans, cabbage, mushrooms, beetroot, onions, new potatoes, spinach, lettuce. Look… [Read more…]
May 1, 2009
May is the leanest month for seasonal eating. We don’t notice it in this age of refrigeration, but it used to be the ‘hungry gap’ – winter vegetables wouldn’t store any longer, and the summer crops hadn’t arrived yet. Nevertheless, there’s still plenty to enjoy. The spinach in the garden is still growing wild, and… [Read more…]
February 24, 2010
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