I absolutely love December for food; who doesn’t? It’s an excuse to go all out on proper, hearty, home-comforts; and there are loads of good reasons to eat more locally & seasonally this festive season.
It’s more sustainable, as it reduces the energy needed in the growing and the carbon emissions needed in transport. It also supports UK producers – keeping money in our local economies and with local businesses at Christmas time; instead of lining the pockets of the big players.
SO WHAT’S IN SEASON THIS MONTH?
On the veg front, look out for beetroot, brussels sprouts, cauliflower, celeriac, celery, chicory, horseradish, jerusalem artichoke, kale, kohlrabi, leeks, parsnips, potatoes (maincrop), salsify, shallots, swede, truffles (not the chocolate kind!), turnips, and wild mushrooms.
For fruit and nuts, this month is all about apples, cranberries, pears, almonds, chestnuts, hazelnuts and walnuts.
When it comes to meat; duck, goose, guinea fowl, hare, mallard, rabbit, turkey, and venison are all in season. With poultry, try to look for those raised on a soy-free diet to avoid links to deforestation (more detail on that here).
For fish, look for sustainably caught clams, cod, coley, dab, dover sole, gurnard, haddock, halibut, hake, langoustine, lemon sole, mackerel, mussels, oysters, sea bass (wild), sea bream, and winkles.
Source: www.eattheseasons.co.uk.
SEASONAL EATS TO TRY THIS DECEMBER
If you’re the type of person who prefers to let someone else take care of the cooking (and the washing up), I wholeheartedly recommend giving Nook at look; their menus are always really seasonally-led and at their comforting best with a large glass of red!
Or if you’re planning on rustling up some seasonal eats at home, try:
- BBC Good Food’s Cheesy Leek, Rosemary & Celeriac Gratin
- Delicious Mag’s Kale, Chestnut & Mushroom Pie
- Olive Magazine’s Pear Crumble
Finally, I shared a simple recipe for roasted winter root veg with orange vinaigrette & roasted hazelnuts over on Instagram – it’s definitely worth a go:
