This week's market report from Wild Harvest features girolles, chestnuts and oca tuber as well as a whole host of other fruit and vegetables currently in season which you can see below:
Wild Mushrooms & Truffles
Girolles
Girolles are being flown in from the US and are big and fully hydrated (let’s face it, wet).
If they don’t float your boat we have a good supply of European girolles frozen professionally at their peak.
We may get some noteworthy Portuguese mushrooms soon, but this crop is not to be counted on.
I marvelled this year that we were still getting baby girolles from Russia in November. It’s a summer line in essence.
France holds onto grey legged autumn chanterelle, as does Turkey with trompette and Spain with pied de mouton.
As the ground frosts kick in and we emerge ourselves in celebrations it’s truffles we turn to for thrills.
This week we are seeing the first black winter truffles from Italy and Perigord.
Whilst they peak in January the early specimens do have a nose and a light marbling.
White truffles are excellent and are fully ripe.
These edible Italian gems normally have the good manners to fruit until new year’s eve before hitting a quieter phase of their lifecycle.
Fruits
Fresh chestnuts abound, as do a myriad of preparations.
We for example sell them peeled and frozen, peeled and cooked, in various pastes & purees, confited, freeze dried, in flour form and in aromas.
Cranberries are in good nick.
Comice pears have been superb this year and continue.
We have gone high end with our clementine variety and it pays off.
Bergamot oranges are fun for the flavour packing zest.
Eyes peeled for blood & seville oranges as we will blink and it will be January.
Vegetables
Roots dominate as the frost sets in, but brassicas are putting up a good fight.
The trio of Peruvian roots now grown in France add interest.
Yacon, capucine and oca tubers.
Jerusalem artichokes are lovely and great value now.
I think their flavour lends itself to sweet dishes as well as savoury. Almost like a natural, complex caramel.
For you fellow fact collectors out there, the French term for them is topinambour and is said said to derive from a Brazilian tribe which introduced it to the Vatican on a darts tour in the 1600’s (I made that bit up).
The lest said about the American “sunchoke” label the better.
Parsley and chervil roots deliver a herbal high note.
Crosnes (aka Japanese artichokes) are set to come down in price.
The hardier squashes survive, as do brassicas and foraged lines.
Just like with fruits it’s eyes peeled for changes.
January cabbages and Yorkshire triangle rhubarb being a couple of faves due in Jan.
Let’s face it for the rest of December all of us lucky enough to work with food will be fully engaged, so the month is going to fly.
Call in on 020 7498 5397 to speak to the team about what other treats we have in store for you today. Visit the website here.
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