It’s the next instalment of the seasonal series! At the beginning of each season, I will release a guide to eating in that season. Throughout that season, I’ll release seasonal recipes, usually a savoury, a sweet and some sort of beverage or snack. I will be sticking to fruits and vegetables, but I’ll link a few websites that I’m grabbing this information from which also detail meat and fish if that’s something you’d like to know. Eating seasonally is another approach to eating that lowers your carbon footprint because you are reducing air miles and chemicals. When something is out of season, it means that it has either travelled from abroad or it is being grown here under manufactured conditions. Obviously, it’s pretty difficult to eat seasonally all the time, but hopefully these recipes will give you an idea as to how to incorporate more seasonal food into your diets!
This week, I’m going over what food is most available in the UK in Summer. Summer in the UK is from June to August. We get long, sunny days, often some rain and very often some thunderstorms. But, there is a lot of food available at this time of year.
Vegetables
As you might expect, salad leaves are easy to find around this time of year. Lettuce, rocket, spinach and cress are all in season through summer. Although potatoes are generally associated with colder months, Jersey Royal Potatoes are harvested near the end of spring and beginning of summer. They’re great crisped up with a roast, or as a potato salad. Other vegetables such as courgettes, cucumber, radishes and tomatoes are also all in season.
Fruit
When I think of foods to eat in summer, the first fruit I think of is strawberries. Strawberries are in season in the UK from late May to early September – there are even lots of places where you can pick them yourself. Blueberries, raspberries and blackcurrants are all also available this time of year. So, there are lots of options for summer tarts and fruit salads.
Herbs
Sage grows all year round but it has the best flavour in summer. Summer is also a great time to harvest mint, which is nice in cold drinks. Chives, dill and thyme are also around during summer, and they’re easy to grow yourself. Herbs are a great food to grow if you’re unsure about gardening, or if you have very little space, or none at all. They also work well with some of the other foods listed above, for example strawberry and mint or potatoes and thyme.
Hopefully this was helpful! Keep a look out for lots of seasonal recipes this season before we move into the next one – autumn.
Seasonal Eating Sources:
Waste Makes Waste 