Seasonal Vegetables

[CookBoy]

We all know that veggies are good for us, but to get the best flavours and freshest ones, you have to go for what's in season. This is real important because food not in season either comes from abroad or has been hanging around for a while. Food from abroad can be very good and there is no getting away from the fact some things will not grow in the UK, but the downside is we don't know how it has been grown. I've just been reading a good article all about this and hopefully it will be useful when deciding what to buy.

Seasonal Food for November -

Veg

Chicory
Greens - leeks, red cabbage, winter cabbage and Brussel sprouts.
Mushrooms.
Potatoes, especially Red Symphonia.
Roots - carrots, parsnips, swedes and turnips.
Squashes and pumpkins

Fruit

Apples - Bramleys, Egremont Russet, Seedling, Cox's and Orange Pippin.
Pears - Comice and Conference.
Quinces.
Wet walnuts.

Seasonal is good and British seasonal is great.

[Brian]

Great post Cookboy.

It's also the season for game in November, with people out there shooting Deer, Pheasants and Grouse.

[sheffy]

According to my "Food in Season " book the following fish are in season and economical:
eels, plaice and herrings and scallops are less expensive than October and skate is at its best.

From the vegetable list this is obviously when we should be ( and I certainly lam) making soups and casseroles.

[Mac]

Thanks Cookboy, very interesting post. Parsnips and swedes are very seasonal over here in Spain, in fact they have just come in and will only last until the end of Jan. Something that doesn't do too well due to the climate so the window is quite narrow. Good turnips don't exist at all.

Agree with Sheffy, soups/broths/casseroles, real winter food with fantastic ingredients.

[caterersguide]

We have been living in France for nearly 6 years now and one of the things we noticed about food here is that nearly everything on sale is seasonal. They do import a very few fruits and veg from their former colonies but thats about it. You do learn to live with this although sometimes miss the fact that you cannot get some things out of season.
One thing that we now do that we never had the time for back in the UK is having a veg patch. Most of the French have huge veg plots and they laugh at our little offering although it is fine for us. The fruit and veg that we do grow are so superior to supermarket products. I have to say that things like varieties of tomato have been the best that I have ever had. It is so difficult to go back to supermarket ones after this. They have no taste.
I know that the likes of Jamie Oliver and Hugh Fearnley-Whitingstall are always telling us to grow our own. It is true. Once you have done it you never want to go back.

[abi_csi]

I eat as seasonally as I possibly can, although january is abit of a tough month for produce there are still:

Carrots
Parsnip
Kale
Turnips
Potatoes
Some squash
Jerusalem Artichoke
Celeriac
Horseradish

Can't think of any others right now, but when I do I'll let you know. :)

[sheffy]

Brussels sprouts