Market Report - UK seasonal update 2 February 2015

The Staff Canteen

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

This week's market report from Wild Harvest features Pied Bleu Mushrooms, Pompadour Label Rouge spuds and lemons as well as a whole host of other fruit and vegetables currently in season which you can see below:

Wild Mushrooms and Truffles

Portugal pushes on with the lion’s share of our wild mushrooms, with only trompette coming from the USA.Pied Bleu Mushrooms
  • Grey legged chanterelle
  • Yellow legged chanterelle
  • Pied de mouton
  • Trompette
We are glad to announce that an old trusty supplier of pied bleu mushrooms has resumed supply after a gap in production. Situated in a Loire Valley chateau, the mushrooms are grown using traditional methods in caves. Pied bleu is the cultivated form of what in the UK we call field blewits when found in the wild. With a flesh that remains crunchy on cooking and it’s colourful stem, we embrace this consistently good and unusual mushroom. Winter truffles are excellent from both Italy and the Perigord region of France.

Fruits

Menton Lemon FestivalIn anticipation of the famous Menton lemon festival which kicks off on the 14th of February, we add to our offering a lemon from the Nice area. The lemons from the village itself rarely leave France, so we have picked the same variety from surrounding villages to improve supply. Below is a list of some other fruits in good form in February:
  • Bergamot oranges
  • Buddhas hands
  • Seville oranges
  • Clementines
  • Quince
  • Kaki
  • Finger limes

VegetablesPompadour Label Rouge Spuds

I have noticed that we have a distinct Gallic feel to this week’s update. With the first indoor crops of our beloved Jersey Royals still a couple of weeks off, we have listed the Pompadour variety this week. A rare Label Rouge from the tuber family, this potato has both firm flesh and an inherent butter flavour removing the need to drown in dairy. Here are a few other little gems representing only part of our offering this week.
  • Forced Yorkshire Triangle rhubarb
  • A variety of adult beets
  • Wild three cornered garlic
  • Punterella
  • Cima di rapa
  • Crosnes
  • Oca tuber
  • Mixed coloured kale
  • January King cabbage

On The Cusp Of Greatness

Wild garlic traditionally kicks off in early March, but is so weather dependant our eyes are now peeled. The mighty Turkish morel and fabulous green English asparagus have a similar life cycle.
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The Staff Canteen

The Staff Canteen

Editor 2nd February 2015

Market Report - UK seasonal update 2 February 2015

IN ASSOCIATION WITH