P
DorsetS
L E N T Y
From Farm to Fork
Five seasonal ingredients you should be eating this month
1
Beetroot
Wopportunity to sneer at the pickled stuff, but we won’t have a word said against it. It
hen celebrating the earthy sweetness of new season beetroot, some purists take the
has its place – preferably alongside a pork pie at a picnic – but as this is the season when
beets are at their best, we should really eat it fresh from the ground rather than drowned
in vinegar. Indeed, Chioggia beetroot is best shaved raw into a salad of peppery leaves and
crumbly cheese as its attractive stripes fade when cooked. Other varieties are fantastic
roasted as part of summer Sunday dinner, or you can make it the star of the show, tarting it
up by pairing it with the smooth flavours of a goat’s cheese.
2
Lamb
Tgiving them more flavour. By happy coincidence, it’s also barbecue season, and there’s
his sweet meat is best eaten right now as the lambs have had time to graze and exercise,
no better barbecued meat than lamb. Juicy kebabs, made with diced, marinated shoulder
are wonderful cooked over hot coals. What’s more, you can mince any leftovers for burgers.
Of course, the sun isn’t always shining, but that shoulder of lamb, flavoured with anchovies,
rosemary and garlic makes for a superb summer roast.
10
3
Broad Beans
Ito dislike broad beans. Thankfully, we no longer have to put up with grey, overcooked
f you grew up when all vegetables were boiled for 20 minutes, it would have been easy
beans with the texture of a cushion. Instead, boil them briefly for 3-5 minutes, plunge into
cold water and pop the vibrant green beans out of their skins. You’ll want to eat them
straight away, especially with sharp and salty flavours like ham and feta cheese. If you can
hold on for a few more minutes, bash them up as a topping for bruschetta, and they’re also
great in a risotto, too. To pick the freshest beans, go for those that feel firm and crisp.
4
Samphire
Lfind the sea vegetable in the supermarket so you need to either pick your own (cut off
ook out for these bright green, salty stalks growing around Britain’s coastline. You won’t
the tops, leave the stems in the ground) or seek out a local farmer’s market. Buy some fish
while you’re there, for although samphire may not be the main attraction, boiled for a few
minutes and sauteed in butter, it makes a great accompaniment. The samphire season is
short, so make sure you snap up this salty beauty between July and August.
5
Cherries
FBritish fruit. You don’t get better, or juicier, than fresh cherries. Kent is famous for its
rom gooseberries to strawberries, and blackcurrants to blueberries, what a month it is for
cherries, and it’s also home to the cherry batter pudding, in which the gorgeous glossy fruits
are baked in a concoction of flour, cream, eggs and sugar. In France, it’s called a clafoutis,
which sounds much more exotic. Other classic combinations are cherries and almonds in a
Bakewell tart, and they go brilliantly with chocolatey puddings.
www.menu-dorset.co.uk