As October rolls into Edinburgh, we’re readying to hunker down with warming recipes, spices, soups, hot toddies, the works. But October can also be an incredible time to harvest within the UK! Much of the September harvest is still hanging around on top of all the extra goodies an added month brings. At Gulls we get as much of our fruit and veg from local suppliers such as Pittormie Fruit Farm in Fife, a family owned and run business with a focus on quality fresh food, always.
Here are some common items available to harvest within the UK in October, many of which you will find in our shop throughout the month:
Beetroot / Broccoli / Butternut Squash / Carrots / Cauliflower / Kale / Leeks / Sweetcorn / Rocket / Turnips / Spinach / Potatoes / Parsnips / Lettuce
A lot of these vegetables are easy growers within our own gardens, a sustainable and ecological way to help many of us through the increasing food prices. Although, we appreciate the access to knowledge within gardening can be both daunting and unattainable, alongside tools and space to grow (community gardens? Yes please).
There are also plenty of fruit and veggies that grow here that are a little less commonly found in our regular dishes:
Salsify / Chicory / Celeriac / Quince / Damsons (a hedgerow classic).
This means that September/October are a great time to try something new and experiment with creative dishes. Why not try this Celeriac ‘pasta’ with cream, garlic and Pecorino (which you can buy from us as we stock I.J.Mellis cheese!)
Damsons are a hedgerow favorite and can be easily identified by their purple-black matte coloring. Introduced into the UK by the Romans, damsons are a common fruit, easily made into liqueurs, chutneys, syrups and jellies. It can also be eaten raw when fully ripe although they can get a little acidic. My own home used to be filled with the sweet sticky scent of damson liqueur as my mum would make large batches and leave them to age for potent Christmas gifts. Always a great way to win over the aunts and uncles.
Another autumn favorite for many is fennel. The aromatic seed and the fresh raw bulb can have plenty of uses in all sorts of ways. Fennel itself is highly rich in antioxidants, fibre, potassium and vitamin C, with anti-inflammatory benefits as well. It can aid brain and heart health and some studies show it could help with pain management. For the most part we are likely to use in autumnal salads, coleslaw, or maybe braise it as a delicious side dish!
Autumn in the UK is so abundant with local produce, making getting and eating vegetables a little easier as items don’t need to be imported into the shops. This helps them last longer as they are fresher, and, when you shop from local stores like us, you help your community farmers within Scotland.
Shopping local gives back to local economies, creates jobs and grows your neighborhoods beyond just big supermarket chains. So come on in and share what you’ve been cooking lately - we always love to hear new recipes and find out what our customers are cooking with our produce…we might even make it into one of our *whisper* recipe boxes *coming soon*
