What’s Good to Eat Now
A quick seasonal guide…
I have to say that if this post is somewhat short on substance that’s because my fruit and veg supplies are! Here in the UK the new season goodies are yet to take off in earnest and interesting produce is a bit thin on the proverbial ground.
I’ve had a decent run on baby salad leaves and micro herbs. Bull’s blood, chard, mizuna, fennel, amaranth has all been good but vegetables are a little uninspiring. Broad beans are around and the first peas but other than that I’m relying on kale and savoy cabbages for making stuffed parcels with or braising for fish dishes. New potatoes are on the way which is good news and it won’t be long before my favourites, the Jersey Royal are out of the hothouses and the ‘real’ ones are dug up from outside.
On the meat front the price of beef went through the roof but prices are begining to settle which is good news all round, new season lamb is around and I’d reccomend you asking your butcher for an 8-10 oz lamb rump to try, very tasty, good value and easy to cook.
I wrote about using pork belly the other day and one of the main reasons apart from the flavour is the price. My butcher told me today that he is paying more for pork now than he’s ever done so keep an eye out for the price of fillet and loin.
I’ve had some nice Arctic Char ( a type of trout) this week and the turbot has been very good. One fish worth looking out for is farmed sea trout, lovely thick flesh and very good value for money, and they’re easy to cook.
I’m really looking forward to the warmer weather and the fabulous English fruits, will post more as and when I get them.
Have a great weekend, I’m going to be stuck in the kitchen for most of it so I’ll see you all on the other side.
Miles,
Thanks for the insider tips. I really like the look of Arctic Char, never come across it before. A couple of fillets with some Jersey Royals and a wedge of lemon would hit the spot.
I had a mooch around Manchester & Bury markets last weekend and I’ve come back with some cracking goodies! Lots of black pudding as you might expect and a truckle of Mrs Kirkhams, but I also picked up a kilo of really nice looking Cumbrian mutton, some black & honeycomb tripe, some good oxtail and a few pigeons. I’m going to have some fun on my days off!
Have a great weekend!
GDave
May 2, 2009 @ 9:10 am
Miles,
Judging by the look of my garden and grass in particular, things are growing very quickly at the moment. My local grocer shop is full of asparagus although I must check to see where it’s from… and at almost £2 a small bunch the price soon mounts up when catering for more than one. In an effort to remain healthy I’m using my electric juicer regularly and getting through lots of fruit and vegetables… only trouble is cleaning the wretched thing.
I’ve worked the last three Saturdays so I plan to enjoy the next couple of days, mixed in with all the usual chores of course. By the time the rest of us get back to work, presumably you’ll have some time off Miles and be able to relax? It has long since occurred to me that having a job in the first place not only pays the bills but makes a person appreciate free time all the more.
Cid
May 2, 2009 @ 10:22 am
GDave,
“a truckle of Mrs. Kirkhams?” I am intrigued. Please enlighten me and sorry, if I really should know.
Anne
May 2, 2009 @ 3:18 pm
Miles,
I like this post and find it useful at varying times.
I got some lovely fresh asparagus from Kent (via my supermarket) and will savour it tonight with some Parma Ham.
They were £1.50 a bunch.
Anne
May 2, 2009 @ 3:21 pm
Anne,
) I’ve never met the Mrs (Ruth) Kirkham but her son Graham runs the business these days and works the market stall. He’s so helpful in giving ‘cheese care’ advice and beams with pride in his family’s product. Top bloke! I’ve noticed Lincolnshire Poacher is available online in a similar form. Definitely on the shopping list.
‘Truckle’ is quite a new one on me too. In this case it’s a miniature wheel of Lancashire cheese and Mrs Kirkhams is one of the two finest cheeses in the region. The truckle is cloth wrapped and brushed with butter, weighing about 1.5kg. I bought a nice mouldy, mature one, although they do sell new cheeses so people can age them at home. (why!??
Cid,
My weekends at work have come around again so I feel your pain. You’re right though, my days (and nights) are long but I cannot sniff at the amount of time I get off in between. Hey, I’m probably going to get crossed off a couple of Christmas card lists here, but is asparagus really worth the time-consuming harvesting, the short season and the high prices? That said, we should probably ask if Anne has any leftovers from her asparagus and parma ham supper. Maybe if I offer some Lancashire cheese shavings?
GDave
May 2, 2009 @ 8:52 pm
GDave,
I’ve been using Mrs Kirkham’s for years and Grandma Singleton’s. Fine cheese.
Sounds like a great haul you have there mate.
Off to bed, I’m all ‘food out’ today, it’s been a long one.
Only one more week to my day off…
Miles
May 2, 2009 @ 10:07 pm
GDave,
I think we could try offering some of your Lancashire shavings plus one of my own truckles, then invite ourselves over for tiffin one of these days. Anne is practically gourmet royalty as you now know…. what that woman doesn’t know about asparagus and parma ham won’t be worth knowing. We may need to concoct a plan of sorts to divert her ever hungry offspring away from the banqueting table….. poor Melissa, she’s only just relinquished her disguise and it’s already time for another
We could be three discreet door to door sales people, selling truckles, vintage kimonos and snow shoes…. no one will ever guess it’s us 
To tell the truth Dave, I’ve been thinking for some time now that unless you know what you’re doing and are willing to devote time and effort to it, the growing of fruit and veg can be a pain. My grandfather was a fantastic grower and recycler of rain water etc but it took him all his time to keep the weeds down and pests away. That said he wouldn’t have changed a thing and like Miles, always believed it was well worth it.
Cid
May 2, 2009 @ 10:56 pm
GDave,
Many thanks for explaining the cheeses.
Whether or not asparagus is worth the bother or not, I guess it is a good seasonal change food. I will be interested to find out soon what happened to the planting/harvesting in Germany. Last year they could not get enough foreign workers to harvest it (same with strawberries) as they had marched off to the UK where there is a minimum wage. So they incurred great losses.
Cid and GDave
. I wonder if the lunch guest today will swipe it? I give you 1 guess 
We could not eat all the asparagus and ham, will you believe
Anne
May 3, 2009 @ 9:42 am
Anne,
Yes, please give our regards to your food hoovering lunch guest
GDave,
You can kiss that parma ham goodbye… what we need is a calendar of dates when Anne is baking and her voracious house guest is out on his tricycle
Cid
May 3, 2009 @ 10:14 am
I hadn’t heard about the labour shortage in Germany, doesn’t sound good at all. I work with a Polish chap who occasionally brings in home-baked nibbles to munch on. I think we got the better deal.
I love the way that Cid’s business brain is always ticking over! If you’re not a millionaire in a year’s time I’ll eat my hat. Btw, you own truckles? Tell us more!
Oops, I forgot about Singleton’s. (I was thinking about Dew-lay) Make that three fine regional cheeses!
GDave
May 3, 2009 @ 5:36 pm
GDave,
‘Tis true, I am no stranger to truckles and this much I can tell you…. one must approach a large one in fearless samurai fashion, sizing up where to make the first cut with the wire, then on from there. The current regulations dictate that all the cut sides of cheese should be cling filmed when on shop display but not the whole thing with regard to Brie and mould rinds, these should be left to breath and ripen the cheese beneath. I love the look of a whole truckle of cloth wrapped Red Leicester (a million miles away from the plastic stuff sold in supermarkets everywhere) and the embossed Manchego. That said all I have in my fridge at the moment is a chunk of fine Parmesan…. I’m waiting patiently for the day when I have a gathering of friends and a splendid cheese board to share. To accompany we’ll have a shallow white china plate for olive oil with a dash of balsamic vinegar, top quality bread, assorted crackers, fruit pate such as quince or fig, red onion marmalade, apples, grapes and pears and a decent wine. Of course for Melissa we might have to add a few gluten free nibbles and then point her in the direction of the famed Macaron for dessert.
Cid
May 4, 2009 @ 11:58 am
Cid,
Your cheeseboard sounds utterly wonderful! Such a colourful spread. I can just picture the accompanying scene; the ambient lighting, Rostropovich playing quietly on the stereo, the car keys in the fruitbowl
You clearly have quite some cheese knowledge and experience, much more so than me, so I’ll leave you with a little teaser…. what kind of cheese is made backwards?
GDave
May 4, 2009 @ 1:31 pm
GDave,
Edam
I have very little cheese knowledge and experience but I learn quickly 
Cid
May 4, 2009 @ 1:51 pm