What's in season this month?
Roots, Roots and More Roots
It's winter, so of course it's still all about roots. Beetroot, squash, celeriac, jerusalem artichoke, parsnips, potatoes, pumpkin, swede, and turnips. This time of year it feels like you should be making some old standbys, but you can add a tweak here or there. Why not have mashed parsnip of squash with your sausages or make your dauphinoise with a mix of swede, turnip and artichoke?
Beetroot produces a delightfully pink bowl of risotto - but a slug of vodka in there will warm you up on these cold nights and stop it from being too sweet.
Keep Eating Your Greens!
It's not really the time of year for delicate greens like spinach and chard, but brussels sprouts, sprout tops and kale are abundant and a welcome blast of goodness to balance out the excesses of the season.
If you think sprouts aren't your thing, why try them with a twist! How about using them to top spicy fried rice with this Sprout Nasi Goreng
Apples & Pears
We're right at the heart of apple and pear season. I'd recommend dodging those thick-skinned Conference pears and going for the altogether better juicy fat-bottomed Comice. With lots of apple varieties around at the moment try to look beyond the ever-present Braeburn and Galas and try something else. We particularly enjoy Spartan's, with their sweet flavour and whiter-than-Snow White flesh.
Here's a recipe I return to time and time again roasted parsnip and apple salad. A wonderful combination of seasonal flavours, that still manages to feel fresh and interesting.