Seasonality is at the heart of good eating, and this section is designed to help you become truly attuned to the seasons in your shopping and your cooking.
July
July is the opposite of February – and that can only be a good thing. No need for ingenuity and effort. No seasonal despondency to cook your way out of...
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Raspberries
If I grew only one fruit it would be the raspberry. They are delicious eaten straight from the bush, while still warm. Buying raspberries in small punnets is an expensive business and the fruit is often disappointingly insipid. Again, the pick-your-own farm offers better value. July and early August are the high season (but don’t forget to look out for the late-cropping varieties, such as the excellent Autumn Bliss, in October). The sign of a ripe raspberry is that it comes easily away from the tough central core.
Courgettes
Anyone who has ever grown their own courgettes knows how wonderfully easy they are to cultivate. Because they are so prolific, they are one of the best plants to grow in containers, and by July they will be spilling out all over the ground. Don’t miss the treat of deep-fried courgette flowers in batter – preferably with a tiny baby courgette attached. Courgettes should be coming down in price in the shops now – although, mysteriously, yellow ones seem to cost twice as much as green. Look for small, firm, fresh ones and avoid those all too common lacklustre specimens that bend in the middle.
Samphire
This succulent plant of the tidal zone looks almost like a miniature cactus. It is one of the most worthwhile of all wild vegetables.....
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Horseradish
Horseradish can often be found on cultivated or broken ground. This perennial herb is easily recognised by its large, thick leaves, pointing skywards like giant donkey’s ears. But it is the thick root beneath them that is of interest to those who like a little heat in the kitchen. It should be dug up, then washed, peeled, grated and used sparingly. For a real horseradish sauce, combine it with cream, mustard and just a little vinegar. Its clean, aromatic heat complements many foods.
Potatoes
If you have enough space to grow your own potatoes, it is wonderful to have your own spuds on tap. I like to concentrate on the waxy varieties, such as Pink Fir Apple and creamy, oval La Ratte and Charlotte. If you planted them in April you should be enjoying the first of the crop in July, and the flavour of just-dug specimens is undoubtedly superior. Though technically maincrop varieties, they always taste 'new' right through August to early September. When buying new potatoes, a good indication of freshness is that the skin scrapes off easily (check with your fingernail). They tend not to store well, so buy in small quantities and eat within a week or so.
Fresh Currants
Red, black and white currants are among the easiest fruits to buy as they keep better, even when ripe, than the more delicate soft fruits such as strawberries and raspberries, and can be refrigerated without losing condition. However, they are all expensive to buy in any quantity. As with other soft fruits, the pick-your-own farm is a godsend for those who want to enjoy plenty of these fruits in peak season. They freeze well, either whole or lightly cooked, sieved and sweetened, then frozen as a purée – or, best of all, made into sorbets and ice-creams.
Mackerel
Easy to catch, cheap and plentiful – so hardly a luxury – mackerel is still one of the most delicious, and therefore underrated, of any sea fish. It has a remarkable affinity with bay leaves; one should be thrown on every dish, pan or griddle in which a mackerel is baked, fried or grilled. And no fish is better on a barbecue or beach fire than a just-caught, self-caught mackerel.