Market Report in association with Wild Harvest 11 Feb 2013

In association with

Wild Mushrooms 

Portugal’s season rolls on keeping wild mushrooms affordable, small and fresh.

This is without doubt the best and cheapest I have seen this aspect of our offering in mid February.

• Girolles, trompette, yellow & grey chanterelle and pied de mouton all from Portugal.


• Pleasing but sporadic shipments of South African cep.

Make hay whilst the sun shines I say, and buy an affordable mix for conveniently packed variety.

Truffles

French & Italian winter truffles are in good supply. The choice is yours.

Spring white truffles are also available.

Vegetables

The thaw has started!

Wild garlic joins its wild leek cousin this week in our chillers.

The crop kicks off in Cornwall and will finish in Scotland when end of summer temperatures convert the pretty flower heads to seed.

Wild Garlic - click here to find out more information and view a sample of this actual stock.

At last we have landed sea kale. Coming from both Scotland and France to attempt to match the massive demand for this crop.

In the wild it looks a mess and grows on stony beaches. On the farm it is carefully forced to provide tender blanched stems with a mild asparagus flavour.

Sea kale - click here to find out more information and view a sample of this actual stock.

Monk’s beard aka barba di frate or agretti rears its succulent head.

Rather like seakale this crop was relatively recently snatched from sea-shores and cultivated.

The flavour profile has a solid mineral hit akin to spinach, and a natural salinity. A novel side for a fish course.

Monks Beard - click here to find out more information and view a sample of this actual stock.

Skurvy grass & alexanders are flowing steadily from the Norfolk wilds to our chef’s kitchens.

Cardoons are still mighty fine.

Many more vegetative treats to tease you with, but time and attention spans are finite.

Koppert Cress

With a next day service across the range and a direct communications link to the Dutch greenhouses, our Koppert cress service is good as it gets in the UK.

The range is vast and we are furnished with typically efficient info from Holland such as todays “We have an issue with oyster leaves.  Therefore, there will be no oyster leaves week 7, as we will not be harvesting any. Deliveries of oyster leaves will start again in week 8.”

Here’s just three of their trademarked lines which give plates an other worldly edge: -

Jampet Leaves - Taste: Cucumber skin with hints of wild mushrooms and umami. Usage:-Soups, pasta and salads.

Grenotti Blossom (pictured) - Taste: Hazelnut, chestnut. Usage:-Chocolate, game dishes, vegetable dishes.

Cresssabi Leaves - Taste: Wasabi with a spicy pepper character. Usage In fish and crustacean dishes, meat dishes, salads and as a garnish to Japanese inspired dishes.

Fruits

Still all about oranges in my book.

Seville, blood and bergamot.

Lovely unwaxed leafy lemons from Southern Italy.

Baby pineapples and kumquats are also in good shape.

Pears and apples are on their way out from Europe.

Cape crops will replace them if you are that way inclined.

On the cusp…our eyes are peeled, as seasonal crops don’t keep diaries.

The mighty alfonso mango.

Magnificent morels.

Moreish English asparagus.

French fancy white asparagus or “grass” as our fellow market traders like to call it.

Massively munchable early strawberries.

Pheasant eggs.

And much, much more…

New seasonal delights arriving daily call in to find out more 020 7498 5397 or email enquiries@wildharvestuk.com