Eating seasonally means eating food that is at its peak in terms of flavour and nutritional content, while at the same time cutting down on those food miles.
Each month, Local Food and Drink brings you a guide to what's in season. The emphasis is on fresh and locally produced food and drink.
Summer seems a little stop-start right now in England – but there are still wonderful edible treats for the local food lover.
BROAD BEANS
Broad beans taste sweeter in the early part of the season, when the pods are relatively small and the skins are soft. Broad beans can be made into a variety of recipes - or just served as a side vegetable. Try this BROAD BEAN PÂTÉ recipe from The Vegetarian Society.
LAMB
British lamb is produced to some of the highest welfare standards in the world. No growth-promoting hormones are fed to sheep in the UK and any antibiotics are administered only under veterinary direction. Britain’s sheep industry is the envy of the world: breeding from livestock and genetics from our native breeds are much sought after by farmers in other countries.
British lamb travels less far from farm to shop so regardless of how carbon footprints are calculated it self-evidently has a lower carbon footprint. Try combining two in season products with this Lamb with Apricots recipe.
ELDERFLOWERS
It turns up in wine, cordials and sorbets but did you know it could ward off midges too? They say that summer begins when the elder comes into flower and ends when the berries are ripe. The large white flat-topped clusters of elderflower blooms have just begun to open, filling country lanes and suburban gardens with their heady scent and providing almost endless possibilities for a bountiful harvest.
The flowers, which will bloom for three weeks or so, have a miscellany of uses and can easily be transformed into wine, cordials and sorbets and the fragrant muscadet flavour used to enhance the flavour of jams, pickles, chutneys and vinegars.
Although the flowers may not smell particularly pleasant at first, as they infuse the fragrance becomes delicious. Try this Elderflower Champagne recipe.
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