|
INGREDIENTS OF THE SEASON As spring approaches and new life emerges, we’re warmly reminded that the abundance of incredible produce found here in Cornwall was one of the most exciting draws of our move to this beautiful county, five years ago this spring. If we’re popping up in your inbox, you’re probably already aware that we work with seasonal ingredients, and in each of our newsletters we’ll highlight a few of the ingredients that we’re looking forward to working with in the season ahead. It’s easy to be seduced by summer’s bounty and long bright days, or by the slowing down and gentle warmth of autumn, but spring may very well be our favourite season. It’s promise of new life and the anticipation of things to come make it the most positive and uplifting of seasons, particularly after winters like the one we’ve endured this year. The storms and all that rain have given way to banks and hedgerows full of wild garlic, three cornered leeks and alexanders, all of which make delicious additions to soups and stews during these crisper months of spring, or salads and pasta dishes as the season warms up. Alexanders, also know as Roman celery, may be the less widely used or recognised of the three, but it has a wonderfully complex flavour, somewhere between celery, parsley and chervil. It’s one of our favourite ingredients to pair with St Austell mussels, alongside cider and a dash of cream, one of those natural combinations of flavour that have total harmony. As temperatures rise and daylight begins to lengthen, the ground rumbles to life with the early plantings of last year, giving us beautifully fresh salads, sprouting kale and broccoli. Both sprouting varieties serve as a quick and delicious light lunch – simply blanch the greens and dress with nuts, shavings of a full flavoured cheese (extra mature Cornish Gouda is one of our go-tos) and a pinch of dried chilli flakes. Weeks from now, as the season continues to unfold, we look forward to the arrival of asparagus and the peppery crunch of a radish or two, as well as the seasons first elderflowers for desserts and cocktails. It is, of course, also spring in the seas and when the boats are able to get out, they bring back some of our waters seasonal visitors. This week brought us a very handsome, plump, two and a half kilo Brown Crab, which we’ve added to our menu in the form of a crunchy and refreshing salad. A healthy scattering of white meat sits atop a pile of shaved cabbage and kohlrabi, dressed in a luxurious sauce made from the brown meat and accented by the gentle anise of tarragon. Needless to say, it was a top seller of the week! As we usher in the delights of spring ahead, we’re also making the most of the last of winter’s forced rhubarb. Easy to cook with – cut down into short lengths, sprinkle liberally with Demerara sugar and roast for just a few minutes on a high heat – this otherwise tart and vegetal ingredient is transformed into one of the prettiest and most delicate fruits of the year, pairing as well in savoury dishes as it does sweet. It’s also one of the few fruits we can turn into jam this time of year and happens to be the first jam we produced in our line of provisions last year.
|
