We’re starting to see lots of great UK produce coming through this week. It’s almost a month behind the start to the season last year, but the sun really pouring over the crops is setting things in motion.
New bunched onions from Strawberry Fields are so fresh from the ground that their tops make a good ingredient in their own right. They make a pungent addition to soups and salads for example.
Libby Flintoff from Preston just delivered a wide range of leafy greens. Her cavolo nero is very different from what were used to seeing in the winter. It has a beautiful early-season sweetness that requires almost no cooking time. Also look out for her rocket and spinach.
Lettuces and chard remain abundant and vibrant and we’re beginning to get a regular supply of UK cucumbers and courgettes too. At the risk of repeating ourselves: UK asparagus is really hitting the mark at the moment, get your fill before the season ends. Lucy Watts in Lincolnshire supplies the mainstay of our offer.
From Europe, we’re all about the stone fruits. Little restraint has been possible with the early arrivals of cherries from France and Spain – plump, juicy and incredibly moreish. Apricots, peaches and nectarines are all tasting of summer too. There’s good value to be had from late season Sicilian oranges – they may look a little scruffy but they still taste fantastic.
