The Essential Guide To... The Essential Guide To…Seasonal Cooking

[see-zuh-nl] /adjective Relating to, or characteristic of, a particular time of the year Food always tastes best when it’s in season, but while some ingredients are at their peak for months, others are over in weeks. So whether you’ve planted your own or found a fabulous local farmer’s market, make the most of fresh produce where you can. These recipes feature some of our favourites throughout the harvesting calendar, with ideas to use up any surplus and tips for growing your own, so you can enjoy their flavours at any time of year. The Essential Guide To… Seasonal cooking is published by Eye to Eye Media, Axe & Bottle Court, 70 Newcomen Street, London SE1 1YT. Editorial enquiries 020 7803 4100 Subscription enquiries 01858 438420…

VEGETABLES • Prep your veg by peeling, chopping off tough ends and stringy bean edges as if you were cooking it fresh. Blanch in boiling water for around 3 mins then plunge straight into iced water to stop the cooking process. Cool and open-freeze (see tips, right) before bagging. Try sprinkling veg with herbs, such as chopped rosemary or thyme over potatoes, first. • For best results, cook vegetables from frozen and use within 1 month. • Spinach is also great for freezing. Simply wilt it in a pan with oil and/or butter, even some crushed garlic. Put into an open freezer bag and flatten with a rolling pin before freezing, to get out all the excess water and for a ready-made sheet of frozen spinach to go straight into…

BEETROOT Rainbow houmous platter Whizz beetroot, carrots and peas into these vibrant moreish dips that are spot on for summer barbecues and picnics Serves 10-12 Prep time 45 mins, plus pickling You’ll need… Food processor For the pickled baby veg • 500ml apple cider vinegar• 200g caster sugar• 2 tbsp fine salt• 1 tbsp black peppercorns• 1 tbsp yellow mustard seeds• 1 tbsp celery seeds• 1 tbsp coriander seeds• 450g mixed baby carrots• 1 small cauliflower, cut into florets For the beetroot houmous • 250g raw beetroot, peeled and cut into 3cm chunks• Olive oil to drizzle• 400g tin chickpeas• 1 tsp ground cumin• 1 garlic clove, crushed• 2 tbsp tahini• 1 tbsp pomegranate molasses, plus extra to drizzle• Juice of ½ lemon• Pomegranate seeds to serve For the carrot…

AUTUMN • Apple In harvest towards the end of the year, from the mid-September Cox to the December Braeburn • Artichoke Comes into season in summer but still in abundance through to November • Blackberry Pick wild from the hedgerow from the end of summer until late September • Butternut squash At its best from September through to the year end • Celeriac At its finest from September/October until the end of winter • Kale Excellent in the colder months from October to the new year • Potato Main crops harvested in the autumn after summer baby new potatoes • Pumpkin The Halloween favourite comes into its own from October to December WINTER • Brussels sprout A Christmas powerhouse from late autumn to winter’s end • Chestnut An autumn/winter favourite…

Baby leaf salad with bacon & tarragon croutons & edible flowers Packing plenty of crunch and flavour, this pretty floral salad brings a meadow freshness to the table Serves 4 as a starter or side dish Prep time 10 mins Cooking time 10 mins • 6 rashers streaky bacon• Splash of rapeseed oil• 1 large slice sourdough, finely torn• 3 fresh tarragon sprigs, leaves picked• 125g mixed baby salad leaves• Edible flowers, available from larger supermarkets For the dressing • ½ tsp Dijon mustard• 3 tbsp rapeseed oil• 1 tbsp moscatel or sherry vinegar• Juice of ½ lemon 1 Put all the dressing ingredients in a clean jar with a pinch each of salt and finely ground black pepper. Seal tightly, then shake to emulsify the dressing. Set aside. 2…

Tomato, thyme & ricotta tart Add to the theatre of this mouthwatering tart with tomatoes in different sizes and colours Serves 6 Prep time 30 mins, plus chilling and resting Cooking time 26-28 mins You’ll need… Deep 23cm loose-bottomed fluted tart tin • 250g pack ricotta• 80g ricotta salata, grated (from Italian delis, or use pecorino)• 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil• 2 tsp runny honey• 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves, plus extra to serve• Grated zest of ½ lemon• ¼ tsp cracked black pepper• 650g mixed tomatoes – you’ll need 4 large tomatoes for the first layer• Handful small fresh basil leaves For the pastry • 200g plain flour, plus extra for dusting• ½ tsp salt• 4 fresh thyme sprigs, leaves picked• 100g chilled butter, cubed• 3-4 tbsp ice-cold water…