Market Report - UK Seasonal update 20 May 2013

In association with

Hello all,

Here’s a quick update on what’s different about next week from a plant & fungal perspective.

Wild Mushrooms

Morels cling on; we expect high prices to remain until the demise of the season in two weeks time. Turkish supply to start the week at Wild Harvest.
Mousseron from Bulgaria return. We trust supply will improve and prices drop.
St George could end any day, and supply is sporadic.
We have received the first new season girolles from Turkey. Supply will dance around the globe through Bulgaria, Central & Eastern Europe, France & Scotland.
The mainstay of the summer wild mushroom action looks, smells and tastes fantastic. A perfect apricot & pine scented pairing for light fish, vegetarian and poultry plates.
Prices will drop to obscenely cheap in the guts of the summer months.

Truffles

Summer truffles from Italy - prices drop, quality improves.

Fruits

We tried a good spread of peaches and nectarines from North Africa & southern Spain this week. Two weeks needed, we feel, before we will add our name to the crop.
Gariguette strawberries are excellent.
UK strawberries need sun, approx two weeks off.
Alfonso mangoes have hit a happy patch after a shaky start.

Vegetables

Multi-coloured radishes begging for a careful slide down a mandolin.
The asparagus quartet-white, green, purple and wild.
A plethora of foraged goods as highlighted last week. We will soon have to move to Scotland to prolong the wild garlic season.
Poivrade baby violet artichokes.
Where would you put edible flowers? Exactly between a vegetable and a fruit I guess? Leaving the botany to the less greedy, we have a fantastic spread this year.
Jersey royal supply appears to be improving.

As always this is only the tip of the iceberg; new products arriving daily….call 020 7498 5397 to find out more.

Have a great week chef.