SEASONAL SPOTLIGHT UPDATE

DECEMBER 201 7

PICK OF THE MONTH

CRANBERRY

JERUSALEM ARTICHOKES

Love them or hate them Brussels sprouts can be cooked every which way - roasted, sauteed, fried, shaved, and so much more. Whichever method you choose, they’re a great addition to a delicious side or main dish.

Now being in peak season, why not try Brussels sprouts, apples, and bacon hash for a delectable seasonal dish? The roasting of the sprouts and fruits intensifies their natural sweetness, whilst bacon adds a perfect savoury note. You could even pimp it up with a little fresh chilli.

Red cabbage tends to always to be slow cooked in a sweet syrup. Change it up by making a feel good tasty raw salad.

Toss some shaved red cabbage with carrot, sliced cox apple, pumpkin seeds, parsley, radish, celery all bound in a honey and citrus dressing.

Jerusalem artichokes have a beautiful nutty flavour and can be roasted, boiled or pureed, and can accompany most meat and fish dishes.

A classic boulangere is sliced potatoes, onions and stock, baked until tender. Try the addition of seasonal sliced Jerusalem artichokes to give it that little extra something special.

Traditionally used to make the humble cranberry sauce to accompany your turkey at Christmas. Why not try something a little different with your cold meats during this festive period?

A salad with pickled cranberries tossed with crisp gem lettuce, chopped tarragon, parsley and chives, seasoned with salt and pepper and all bound in a sour cream and buttermilk dressing. Delicious!

BRUSSELS SPROUTS

RED CABBAGE

1. PUMPKINS Late maturing autumnal varieties have now finished.

2. SWISS CHARDGive way to the hardier winter brassicas, cabbage, cauliflower or even Brussel sprouts.

TIME TO SAY GOOD BYEThe following produce lines are coming to the end of their season!

WHAT’S IN SEASON?

Chicory

Horseradish

Brussel Sprouts

Kale

Onions

Parsnip

Jerusalem Artichoke

Red Cabbage

Cabbage

Leeks

Beetroot

Swede

Salsify

Main Crop Potato

Cauliflower

Carrots

Celery

VEGETABLES

Rhubarb

Apples

Pears

Clementines

Pomegranates

Cranberries

FRUIT

Butternut SquashCurrently seen everywhere in many different applications, this ingredient is definitely trending! Not only does it make an amazing soup, it is also perfect cut into waffles, spirals, crinkle cut, lasagne sheets, diced, wedges and fries! Roast the squash with the skin on for that extra texture or you can use it as a carrier for soups and one pot dishes. Now that’s versatile!

Top tip 1:

Difficult to peel? Don’t bother! This is great roasted with the skin on or just cut the butternut in half-length ways, roast and scoop out the inside. Easy peasy!

Top tip 2:

Don’t throw away the seeds! Once washed and cleaned, roast them in a little oil until crisp and golden brown and use to finish off soups and a healthy breakfasts.

This is a great easy recipe that ticks all the right boxes for vegetarian, gluten-free & vegan. Forget the supermarket stuff! Go fresh! Simply chop a cauliflower (set some aside) and broccoli into florets and pulse in a blender until it resembles rice and grain consistency.

Then prepare the cauliflower florets that you set aside and place into a gluten-free batter

of self-raising gluten-free flour, soda water and salt and deep fry until crisp.

Fry the rice with some diced onion, garlic, ginger, cumin, turmeric and coriander until it starts to soften (add a little water if necessary).

Place the crispy cauliflower on top of the rice and add fried slices of red chilli and curry

leaf. You can always finish with a dollop of dairy-free coconut yoghurt or a protein for that extra something special.

DAVE’S RECIPESpiced caulifower and broccoli rice with crispy caulifower, chilli and fried curry leaves.

TOP INGREDIENT

FREE- FROM Free-from and lifestyle dining is the hottest topic that our customers are talking about right now. It covers everything from lactose, gluten and wheat-free to all kind of ingredients that have that feel good factor and bonafide health benefit claims.

“Mintel anticipate that free-from sales will reach £538m GBP by 2018. Although only 1% of the UK population are estimated to be affected by coeliac disease, 55% of the market is made up of non-sufferers. More than half the UK population is now buying free-from products.”

As we approach the new year and a wave of healthy-themed new year resolutions, we have pulled together a few snappy ideas that will add clout to your menus in 2018.

FOODIE TRENDS

The Hammond family have been farming in Nottinghamshire since 1900 when Thomas Hammond bought the 12 acre Derry Mount Farm in Arnold from his retiring employer, Thomas Dabell.

Today, the business farms over 3,500 acres across 3 counties and produces over 50,000 tonnes of fresh vegetables each year. At their headquarters just to the north of Nottingham, Hammond Produce takes delivery of hundreds of tonnes of carrots, parsnips, potatoes, leeks, cabbages and other freshly prepared produce every week. Here they are cleaned, graded, prepared, packed and shipped fresh to their customers seven days a week.

Their expertise is in taking vegetables fresh from the field, preparing them and despatching them with absolute reliability to retailers, meal manufacturers and food service suppliers throughout the UK and beyond.

meet our

suppliers

HAMMOND’S PRODUCE:Root vegetables:

Parsnips, Carrots, Beetroot, Potatoes

Leafy & other vegetables:

Leeks, Rhubarb, Savoy & green cabbage, Spring Greens, Kales

Hammond Produce’s dedication to sustainable agriculture and food production shapes the way that they farm their land to safeguard its ability to produce healthy, great tasting, fresh food for many generations to come. Their integrated approach to farm management is typified by their LEAF Marque status, certifying the sympathetic management of intensive food production alongside long term environmental sustainability and conservation projects.

HAMMOND PRODUCE LIMITEDNOTTINGHAMSHIRE, UK

SproutsHolland

Jerusalem ArtichokesPredominantly France

Red CabbageLincolnshire

CranberriesCanada & America

PRODUCE FROM

?WHERE’S YOUR

FRESH DIRECT LIMITED, CHARBRIDGE WAY, BICESTER, OXFORDSHIRE, OX26 4SWW: freshdirect.co.uk T: 01869 365 600 E: info@freshdirect.co.uk

Registered office same as above, registered company number: 03053702