What is Good to Eat in August
Good food to eat this month
In previous years I have had a glut of home grown food to contend with, borlotti beans drying in the airing cupboard, the first chillies pickled or pureed, broad beans and peas in the freezer, potatoes in the garage, onions and garlic left out to dry with courgettes and tomatoes being turned into every conceivable recipe.
This year, after a dreadful summer I am having to look slightly further afield to bolster the store cupboards for winter. I have had a good crop of fruit and many of the herbs I had grown for a forthcoming book project continue to flourish but a lot couldn’t cope with the extremities of the weather. This is the first year I haven’t bothered with chillies and tomatoes and I’m glad I didn’t, everything is struggling to ripen and most especially my plum tree.
In the kitchen we are enjoying the wonderful Scottish girolle mushrooms and this week sees the delivery of some beautiful wild sea bass. Mackerel is being served with the last of the gooseberries and tiny rock samphire and summer truffles are still being made the most of.
Closer to the home kitchen and the first of the sweetcorn should be around, tomatoes should be sweet and ripe and courgettes growing like triffids if left alone for too long. Bulb fennel shouldn’t be too far off and if, like me you have fennel herb then now is the time to take advantage of the flowering heads. The seed pods are packed with flavour, pick and dry them and then crush in a pestle and mortar as you require them, the aroma is incredible.
Onions and garlic should be dug by now and left to dry in the sun and look out for the first of the chard, an excellent vegetable widely used in Italian cookery.
I’m hoping to have a glut of produce myself one day, a regular guide on what can be done with it as seasons go by would be a great and useful addition to the site
August 14, 2007 @ 5:54 pm
Derfel,
Thanks for your comment, I intend to do a shortened post on seasonal produce each month with a more in depth look on the food web site.
Look out for september as the game season starts to take hold.
regards
miles
August 14, 2007 @ 10:42 pm
Miles,
Great site, Keep up the good work
T.
x
August 15, 2007 @ 9:53 am
Hello Miles,
Just a quick comment to wish you all the best with this new venture.
Nice to see some quality content on the Internet, the photographs are great by the way, another reason to visit this site regularly.
All the best.
SC.
August 15, 2007 @ 10:31 am
Tracey & SC
Many thanks for your kind words and for visiting the site-let me know if there is any topic you would like to see covered.
regards
miles
August 15, 2007 @ 12:38 pm
I’d like to know when fennel is ready as I think mine is almost there !
I’d also like to know if there is anything I need to do with courgettes other than pick them when I think they’re big enough
Cheers
RC
August 15, 2007 @ 1:24 pm
Rod,
Youre fennel should be ok to pick now, young fennel is delicious and ideal for single servings. As for courgettes, pick as soon as the size looks right. You can leave them to grow much bigger and use as for marrow-makes a good pickle/chutney if you’re that way minded. Keep cutting regularly to ensure new growth.
miles
August 15, 2007 @ 3:27 pm
Awesome thanks, may well have some fennel this week then
August 15, 2007 @ 5:37 pm