Seasonal Produce – September

The summer seems to be hanging on for a little while longer and in the kitchen, there are lots of salad crops and plenty of peas, beans, and courgettes to brighten our plates. This is the time of year for the arrival of the first game and foraged wild mushrooms, whose rich earthy flavours are perfect partners and the season for mussels, oysters, and scallops. Fruit is probably at its most varied with abundant apples, plums and pears and time to enjoy the last of the fresh raspberries, blueberries, peaches, and apricots. Finally, it is time to head to the hedgerows and go wild blackberry ( bramble ) pickling.

Wild Brambles

Vegetables and Salad

The last of the summer crops of salad ingredients such as radishes, beetroot, cucumber, tomatoes, peppers, baby spinach, and salad leaves are still readily available. Broccoli, carrots, onions, fennel, globe artichokes, aubergines, and sweetcorn are all now in season.

Autumnal Squashes

The first autumn and winter vegetables are starting to be harvested, so look out for Brussels sprouts, celeriac, Butternut squash, turnips, leeks, Swiss chard, kale and cabbage, pumpkins and main crop potatoes. Basil, chives, coriander, oregano, mint, curly and flat parsley, rosemary, sage, sorrel, tarragon, thyme are all in season to add bags of flavour to your cooking.

 Meat

Rabbit, pheasant, grouse, partridge, guinea fowl, wood pigeon, and wild duck are all in plentiful supply. Goose and venison are coming in season and older season lamb is now available.

 Seafood

Mussels

Mussels, oysters, and scallops are now much better quality after the summer spawning. Available fish includes cod, haddock, coley, grey mullet, ling, pollock, mackerel, and sea bass. Also, in plentiful supply are crabs, salmon, and sardines.

 Fruit

Ripe Elderberries

Elderberries should you live near any should be abundant. Figs, plums, chestnuts, cobnuts, pears, and apples including Bramley cooking apples, are all coming into season, as are damsons, sloes, and greengages.