Eating vegetables that are seasonal and locally grown is not only healthier for the whole family – it’s tastier too. Toby Geneen, co-founder and co-head chef at Kindling Restaurant in Brighton* explains why he’s on a mission to get us to switch to home-grown veg.
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‘At some point, most parents find themselves locked in a war of wills over the food their child is prepared to eat. It can be a challenge to ensure children eat healthily, and you need plenty of tricks up your sleeve to pull it off.
‘Celebrity chef and passionate campaigner for improving children’s eating habits, Jamie Oliver, suggests one way is to secretly add blended vegetables to tomato sauces for pizzas and pasta dishes. But if you’re not comfortable with a little subterfuge, you could try playing the environmental card – which involves making meals that match the time of year.
When you choose ingredients that are naturally in season, you will
get fresher, sweeter produce that tastes better. The joy of something
perfectly ripe is that very little needs to be done to it to make it
taste amazing. Nothing compares with the taste of tomatoes grown
outdoors and ripened in the late August sunshine. Fragrant, sweet and
juicy, these tomatoes truly taste of tomato, and need nothing more than
some salt and pepper to sing on the plate. They are a far cry from the
red bullets that are imported in December.
Imported produce is generally picked well before it is ripe to make
it easier to transport. That’s why the avocadoes we buy in the UK taste
so different from the ones from Mexico! Imported food is kept
refrigerated for long periods of time and doesn’t develop the same
levels of nutrients as food that is allowed to ripen in situ. Seasonal
food has a higher nutritional value because it is consumed riper and
closer to the time of harvest. Food that is transported and stored for
long periods rapidly loses antioxidants such as vitamin C, diminishing
its health benefits.
Seasonal food also supports what your body needs. Summer foods such
as tomatoes and stone fruits contain high levels of carotenoids which
help protect us against sun damage. When ripened on the vine, tomatoes
have plenty of time to develop lots of the red plant chemical lycopene.
This has been well documented in safeguarding our skin from damaging UV
rays.
Summer vegetables are also naturally lighter and have a higher water
content, helping us to stay cool and hydrated. Although 80 per cent of
your daily water intake usually comes from drinks, the other 20 per cent
comes from foods. Cucumbers, lettuce, courgettes, and watercress are
all excellent summer vegetable sources of water. By contrast winter
veggies tend to be rich in starches. These help to provide the extra
energy we need to stay warm in the colder months. What we eat sends
signals to our body about the time of year. A warming pumpkin curry in
October makes much more sense than a cold leafy salad.
Using produce that is grown in the UK also reduces the number of
‘food miles’ and brings down your carbon footprint. There is less
transportation, refrigeration, and fewer hot houses, all of which helps
to reduce air pollution. Using seasonal produce is environmentally
friendly and supports regional farms and communities, helping to grow
the local economy.
Call me romantic but I’ve rather fallen in love with the ebb and flow
of British produce. Getting excited to taste the first forced rhubarb
and awaiting the moment I can put deep fried Brussels sprout back on the
menu in the winter is all part of the charm of home-grown produce. At
our restaurant, our self-imposed determination to buy local has become a
catalyst for menu development. It has prompted dish changes, inspired
new combinations and encouraged us to learn more about preserving things
so we can use them later in the year.
At first, seasonal eating can seem restrictive, but it doesn’t have
to be. Every time you buy produce that’s grown closer to home, some air
miles are saved and some flavour gained. You’ll soon discover how much
better food tastes and how much easier it is to make a delicious meal
when the produce you are using is at its peak.
To help keep your kids interested in the food they eat, encourage
them to help you have a go at preserving or fermenting gluts of summer
produce so you can have those flavours later in the year. We love to
make berry jams, tomato chutneys, piccalilli, gherkins and fermented
fruits. Then we can use them for a splash of colour and some zing in the
colder months.
Here are a couple of recipes to get you started and help you preserve the taste of summer:
STRAWBERRY JAM
1kg of strawberries, green part removed and cut into quarters
1kg caster sugar (or you can use preserving sugar and omit the pectin)
15g pectin
3 tsp citric acid
Place a small plate in the freezer ready for testing the set of your jam.
Mix the caster sugar and pectin together so the pectin is well distributed.
Place
the strawberries and sugar pectin mix in a large pan over a low heat
and stir regularly until the strawberries have released lots of juice
and the sugar is dissolved.
Stir in the 3 tsp of citric acid then bring the jam mixture up to a simmer, stirring regularly.
Hard boil the mixture for about five minutes, stirring to ensure it doesn’t catch on the bottom.
Remove
from the heat and test the set of the jam by placing a small amount on
your freezer chilled plate. Allow to cool for a couple of minutes. If it
is set, it will crinkle when gently pushed with a fingertip. If it’s
not setting, return the mixture to the heat and boil for a few more
minutes and test again. Repeat until the setting point is reached.
FERMENTED PLUMS
Fermenting fruit in brine is a great way to keep it for use later in
the year. Fermented plums add a delicious punch as a sliced or diced
garnish, or they can be pureed into a zingy sauce.
You’ll need a large jar suitable for fermenting, such as a Kilner jar with a rubber clip top lid.
1kg plums
1L water
50g table salt
Rinse the plums and cut in half, removing the stone.
Tightly pack your plum halves into your fermentation jar.
Whisk the water and table salt together ensuring all the salt is well dissolved.
Pour just enough of the brine over the plums to ensure they are covered.
A
fermentation weight or a ziplock bag filled with water should be placed
on top of the plums to weigh them down and force the brine to cover
them.
Seal the jar and allow to ferment at room temperature or slightly warmer. Fermentation will take around five to seven days.
Burp
the jar if necessary to prevent carbon dioxide from building up and
creating too much pressure in the jar. At the end of the fermentation
period the plums and the brine should taste pleasantly sour and acidic.
At
the end of fermentation, burp the jar and place it in the fridge to
halt or dramatically slow fermentation before using. If you intend to
keep the jar in the fridge for a long time it is good practice to burp
the jar occasionally to release any gases that have built up and avoid
explosions. Alternatively, you can drain the brine from the fermented
plums and freeze them to use later on.
*Toby Geneen is co-founder and co-head chef of Kindling Restaurant in
Brighton. Kindling is about more than just the delicious food, it is a
community of people: staff, customers and suppliers all sharing and
celebrating local produce. Nature writes the menu as the seasons inspire
the dishes. Kindling is featured in the Michelin Guide and is a member
of the Sustainable Restaurants Association.
