It’s August, and the summer season is in full swing. So we’re back with another quick guide to this month’s seasonal foods. Enjoy!
Damsons
Similar to plums and part of the raw family, Damsons are a tart and sour fruit that make a splendid jam! So if you’re neighbours are keen gardeners, now’s the time to ask if they have any spare Damsons lying around…
Recipe ideas: damson jam, damson crumble (swap out the flour for a gluten-free version).
Loganberries
Loganberries are a cross between blackberries and raspberries, and are relatively high in vitamin C. They’re not as sweet as raspberries, which means they’re quite well-suited to savoury dishes. You also tend not to find them commercially, so it’s worth keeping an eye out for them at your local fruit market.
Recipe ideas: loganberry clafoutis (swap out flour for a gluten-free version), loganberry jam.
Plums
The reddish, purplish, fruity classic. There’s nothing like that first bite of a perfectly ripe and juicy plum. This versatile fruit can do it all, from cakes and jams to salads and tarts. Enjoy whilst they’re at their peak!
Recipe ideas: mozzarella, plum and burnt leek salad, British plum umeboshi, roasted beets, plum & pecan salad.
Sweetcorn
It’s yellow, it’s sweet, it’s corn. Whether you eat it from the tin or on the cob, sweetcorn makes a lovely addition to a summer meal. But the real beauty of sweetcorn (for us, at least), it’s its simplicity and versatility. You can eat it on its own, include it as a supplementary ingredient, or feature it as the main ingredient. It can also be used for both sweet and savoury dishes, meaning that you’ll never be at a loss for what to do with it!
Recipe ideas: sweetcorn soup, buttery baked corn on the cob, easy sweetcorn chowder, Mexican corn salad.
Blackberries
Anyone who’s ever tasted a freshly picked blackberry knows that there’s really no substitute. The colour alone is enough to get your mouth watering! Really, as with all seasonal fruit, fresh blackberries are impeccable eat on their own, straight from the harvest. But there are endless ways to incorporate them into lovely and delicious recipes.
Recipe ideas: blackberry jam, gluten-free blackberry cobbler, gluten-free blackberry and apple pie.
Beetroot
This is the time of year when beetroot is good and ready for pulling out of the soil! This root veggie is so unbelievably versatile, healthy, and all-round lovely that it’s definitely something to stock up on at your next local food market. If nothing else, beetroot lends a lovely deep purple-pink hue to anything you cook — so it’s wonderful for making impressive-looking dishes.
Recipe ideas: beetroot hummus, borscht, beetroot and apple salad.
Eating seasonal
For more information on seasonal eating, you can take a look at these fantastic resources: Eat The Seasons (a wonderfully simple website with week-to-week updates on what’s in season in the uk), and Eat Seasonably (another simple and informative resource, featuring a brilliant seasonal food wheel).