August seasonal update
It’s the heart of the summer and we continue to see some great quality seasonal produce both from the UK and further afield. Read on to find out more about some of our favourites for the month ahead, courtesy of the expert team at Fresh Direct.
Blackberries
Nothing says summer more than British blackberries. We use Driscoll’s Victoria variety, which provides a large, sweet berry that’s sure to impress your customers.
Modern blackberry cultivation really started in America in the 19th and 20th centuries. However, the history of blackberries goes back much further, with the earliest discoveries showing they were consumed at least 2,500 years ago.
Nutritionally, they are a source of vitamin E and folate, with an 80g serving counting as one of your five a day.
Our chefs love experimenting with blackberries, making a memorable blackberry mojito or a classy cobbler in the August sunshine. However, a current favourite is a blackberry trifle with clear jelly, blackberry custard, cream, viola flowers and finished with a langue du chat biscuit, served in a martini or sundae glass.
Kohlrabi
Kohlrabi, which you may also hear referred to as German turnip or turnip cabbage, comes from the brassica family. It’s peak UK season, so the perfect time to get cooking with kohlrabi.
Its taste and texture are similar to those of a broccoli stem, albeit milder and sweeter. Both the stem and the leaves are edible, with the leaves being used similarly to kale. It can be very finely sliced and used in place of rice paper for Crystal rolls and Chinese pancakes.
While it can be eaten in a variety of ways, our chefs love the balance it gives to fish and recommend serving some gin cured salmon alongside pickled & chargrilled kohlrabi, toasted sunflower seed puree. Garnish with salmon crackling and edible nasturtium flowers.
Kohlrabi is a source of potassium, as well as being high in folate.
Pea Shoots
Pea shoots are the young, tender leaves and stems of pea plants and are packed with flavour. They are probably the best-know of the microgreens, which makes them a popular addition to many recipes, including salads, stir-fries, and as garnishes, where they offer a sweet, fresh taste that complements various dishes.
Pea Shoots are thought to have been first cultivated by the indigenous Hmong people across China, Japan and Southeast Asia. Ours are grown much closer to home in the Vale of Evesham, by our long-term partner Westlands.
As well as an excellent garnish, Peas a la Flamade is a particular favourite with our development chefs. Simply combine little gem, bacon lardons, peas, pea shoots and spring onions, creating an excellent side dish for plated meat such as lamb cutlets.
Watermelons
August is the last month of European watermelon supply before it moves to Brazil, so it’s a good time to make the most of this popular melon. Picking melons that are ‘just right’ is a great skill and we’re fortunate to work with some of world’s leading melon producers. The art of tapping the melon to ensure it has just the right level of sweetness means that we can deliver them to our customers in perfect condition.
Originally watermelons were cultivated for their high water content and were stored to be eaten during the dry season as a source of food and water, but are now enjoyed year-round as a fresh, sweet ingredient in a range of dishes or on their own.
Eating 80g of watermelon counts as one of your five a day.
Sweetcorn
We’re in good hands when it comes to sweetcorn as our supplier Barfoots is the UK’s largest grower and importer of sweetcorn.
Sweetcorn, which is a source of fibre and folate, grows best in sandy soils and warmer conditions. We follow the sun around the world to offer year-round, consistent delivery of the sweetest, freshest sweetcorn. We enjoy the British season from July, which means August is perfect for home-grown sweetcorn.
Don’t forget to check out our cobettes and corn ribs that come in revolutionary Freshlock packaging, gently pasteurised for added convenience - all the flavour, crunch and vibrancy of fresh corn on the cob…with all the time-saving-waste-reducing convenience of long life!
Candy Beetroot
If you love beetroot, but want to try something a little different, try Candy Beetroot. It’s named after the distinctive pink and white concentric rings inside, resembling a peppermint candy or candy cane. It’s also known as Chioggia Beetroot, after the Italian coastal town where it has been cultivated since the 19th century. It’s also a source or potassium and high in folate.
It’s sweeter and milder than traditional beets, making it a favourite in salads and raw dishes. Be careful when boiling as the colour can fade, but steaming or roasting should help preserve the pattern better.
Pointed cabbage
Pointed cabbage, which is also known as sweetheart or hispi cabbage, is high in vitamin K, vitamin C and folate. It has a milder, slightly sweeter flavour compared to common white cabbage and can be eaten raw or cooked, making it versatile for various dishes. For example, hispi cabbage is delicious when quartered, char grilled and served with a spiced butter such as chipotle & lime.
At this time of year, ours generally comes from Scotland and Lincolnshire.
Plums
Our plums will mainly be packed in card punnets for the first time this summer. Plums are terrific at this time of year and this year is looking like it’s going to be the same.
Try the plums sliced in a super salad, with grilled baby gem and blue cheese. Serve them up with, a plum jelly and add a blue cheese dressing.
Butternut squash
During August, our butternut squash mainly comes from Spain and Portugal, where the hot and sunny weather creates the perfect product.
While the raw product is an important part of the Fresh Direct range, butternut squash can sometimes be time-consuming to prepare, which is why we’ve seen a surge in popularity of our pre-prepared, diced as well as our peeled whole butternut squash, saving time and effort in the kitchen.
Butternut squash is a source of vitamin E and vitamin C, high in vitamin A.
