What Foods Are In Season In November

What's In Season
In November

Immediate Release - November 2023

Winter is really starting to dig in this month. The days are shorter and appetites are calling for some warming food to fill and sustain us. The last of the green tomatoes of autumn have been used to make chutney for the festive table, and most polytunnels are gradually being emptied and prepared for next year’s growing season. So as the prolific summer and autumn harvest dwindles, what can we expect to find in seasonal eating this month? 

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GETTING BACK TO YOUR ROOTS

One thing Ireland does very well indeed is traditional field crops. This time of year is ripe for picking carrots, swedes and parsnips. Beautiful and colourful root veggies that come into their own in the winter kitchen. Use carrots and parsnips for smooth soups, brilliant mash or for roasting as an accompaniment to meat or fish.

Swedes mash velvety smooth with cream and nutmeg and make a great partner for roast lamb or beef this time of year. You can also add mashed swede to mashed potato for the topping for warming shepherds or cottage pie.

 

 

SQUASH HOLDS COURT

Halloween brought us a multitude of colourful squash, which are still around this month. From your typical orange pumpkin to Butternut, Acorn and Crown Prince squash, these veggies make divine winter food. They puree into gorgeous soups, roast like a dream, and the smaller ones can be filled with savoury rice and vegetables or meat-based filling and baked in the oven.

This means you can eat the filling, then eat the container! Squash make good additions to vegetable and meat curries, and traditional stews as well.

 

BLACK MAGIC

In terms of leaves, rocket and lettuce have been replaced by the more gutsy kale and Cavolo Nero in polytunnels which are still in use. Cavolo Nero is an Italian member of the cabbage family, with very dark green, almost black leaves, hence the name. Course textured leaves have a full-on taste, slightly stronger than spinach but not quite as ‘green’ as cabbage.

Cavolo Nero is particularly good cooked in a covered pan with a  little butter and a splash of water,  garlic and chilli, or crisp smokey bacon pieces, till the leaves are tender but still with a bite.  Serve as part of a vegetarian meal, or as an accompaniment for main course meat or fish. It’s also good shredded and cooked in winter risottos with mushrooms, or in hearty soups like Minestrone or chunky vegetables. Use it anywhere you would use spinach, but remember it needs a little longer to cook.

Kale is also available now. This wintergreen is one of Ireland’s original green vegetables, and whilst it may now seem old hat trend-wise, it’s still economical and nutritious. Use it in a traditional Colcannon, or any dish where you might use cabbage. Kale is once again King this season.

 

GREEN AND CRUNCHY

Leeks are in season now, perfect for winter’s stews and casseroles. These are one of the main veggies with onions and carrots,  to form the basis of flavour for long slow-cooked meat dishes. Particularly good with pork in a pot roast, perhaps with chunks of autumn’s Irish apples added at the end of cooking time.

And who doesn’t love comforting a bowl of leek and potato soup? One of the classics of Ireland. The fresh green tops of the leeks can be also added to the soup for more colour and more intense flavour.

For winter crunch, it doesn’t come much better than Irish celery. As the weeks get colder, the celery gets better. It’s said to be at its best after the first frost, which will be along shortly no doubt! A light nip of frost makes celery stalks crisper and flavourful. Slice finely and marry celery raw with grated apple, onion and mayo in a crunchy slaw,  or knock up a Waldorf Salad, with sultanas added.

Use trimmed celery sticks as scoops for homemade dips and soft cheeses, or as part of a platter of vegetable crudites. Cut into fine matchsticks and add to stir-fries. Braise celery hearts whole in stock then cover with cheese sauce and extra grated cheese and bake till browned and bubbling. And don’t forget you can also use the leaves, which are packed with flavour. They make a great addition to a winter casserole or stew.

 

GAME ON

In meat terms, it’s all about the game this month. Venison is coming on stream for winter, and we will soon be seeing game birds like pheasants hitting the shops as Christmas approaches. Venison is great for slow cooking in a stew, even better when marinated beforehand in winter flavours like juniper, thyme, sage and red wine.

Tender venison steaks can be pan-fried just like fillet steaks, leaving them pink in the centre if you like your meat medium cooked. And if you fancy a more gutsy flavour to your Irish fry up, look out for plump venison sausages, which are quite the surprise in the flavour stakes!

 

 

FROM THE OCEAN

Cold waters produce superb quality fish and shellfish. This month, look for large flatfish like turbot, brill, sole and plaice, as well as oily fish like herring which are economical and very nutritious. Mussels and oysters are also in season now and extremely good this time of year.

 

 

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