Eating Seasonally: Part 2

Hey MOB - it’s Soph. Welcome to part two of seasonality. Last time out we chatted about what eating seasonally means and it’s benefits. Today we are looking at what’s in season now and what you can do about it.

There really couldn’t be a better time to be writing this article. Nature is alive and kicking and the sun is out. Even if we’re getting bored mostly stuck indoors, our fruit and veg are having a whale of a time.

First off, we’ve got beans. Not the baked variety (although they are legendary), I’m talking super sweet and highly underrated broad and runner beans. We all love peas but seem to have forgotten about these two. Sliced runner beans are best fried in butter, chopped garlic and a splash of water to help them steam for around 3-4 mins.

For the most banging broad beans you need to double pod them. Once boiled, drain then dump into a bowl of super cold water - this will shock the colour of the beans and stop them from over cooking. Grab a bean and squeeze it out from its skin. You’ll be left with a super green pea sized bean with none of the floury skin. It may sound like a bit of a faff but it’s a game changer. You can also do the same with the frozen variety.

Everyone’s eaten an insipid flavourless tomato in December and thought why have I bothered, whereas now, you just can’t get enough of them. The best way to eat them in my opinion is simply cut in half, with loads of olive oil and sea salt. Bread optional. Always keep your tomatoes at room temperature, putting them in the fridge literally kills their flavour.

Soft greens such as watercress, spinach, lettuce and salad leaves are all at their best now. You can tell because you can actually taste their delicately sweet, peppery like flavour, rather than just eating them as a healthy recipe bulker.

Wow you’re in for a treat. Personally I can’t stand anything strawberry flavoured; be it milkshake, ice cream or cheesecake. No thanks. Give me a big bowl of fresh strawberries however, sliced then tossed in a couple of spoonfuls of sugar and left for 30 mins at room temp before eating and I’m happy as Larry. If you are feeling fancy you can add a splash of balsamic vinegar along with the sugar whilst you let them sit.

Letting the strawberries and sugar chill together for a while is a cheffy technique known as maceration, which actually couldn’t be simpler and means you’ll be left with the most unreal strawberry syrup. Boom.

Honestly, seasonal food is just great. Don’t just take my word for it, give seasonal eating a go yourself.

Start by looking for the country of origin sticker on your fruit and veg in the supermarket. If these ingredients are packaged loose (AMAZING!), then the sticker will be on the accompanying crate.

Once you begin to embrace which ingredients are in season now, I guarantee you’ll get excited as the produce changes. Trying something new as it comes into season is also a great way of introducing yourself to lesser known fruit and veg and improving your cooking skills.

So MOB are you up for a challenge?

Once you’ve become more confident about what is actually in season, can you eat, let’s say, 70% seasonal fruit and veg for a week? As we are heading into summer, where seasonal ingredients are being harvested in abundance, it couldn’t be a better time to give it a try.

Tag us @mobkitchen with the #seasonalMOB to show us all the seasonal food you’ve been cooking.