The Seasonal Eater

The autumn rain and winds have most definitely arrived and the trees have switched on the ‘change colour’ button. But we’re having some beautiful crisp, sunny days which I’m going to enjoy while they last. Don’t forget your scarf!

Don’t miss out: The green beans are almost finished so don’t miss out on buying the last harvests for freezing. The zucchini and tomato plants are getting low on energy now so enjoy the very last of these summer veges. There are still decent fresh berries available – no complaints there!

Just arrived: Celeriac and kale! (I can hear the enthusiasm) And take this opportunity to take your first bite into this season’s juicy new apples: crunching into freshly picked apples is one of life’s little pleasures. And there’s a LOT of apples in Holland to crunch through! Perfectly paired with (wild) hazelnuts.

Plentiful: The gorgeous autumn vegetables are YUM at the moment. There’s lots of sweet corn to keep munching away on. The greens are still going strong: spinach, silverbeet, cabbages, broccoli. More potatoes are on the way and the carrots are super fresh now too. Get stuck into cauliflower and all colours of beetroot.  And there seems to be no end to the pumpkins.

Autumn fruit doesn’t get any better than blackberries and plums. Together with the arrival of new harvest apples and pears, there’s more than enough for celebration!

Coming soon: The first pears have just appeared but most of the popular Conference pears should be ready in the coming weeks, along with the stewing pears. The mushrooms are taking their time this year….

The Dutch summer continues with a string of lovely warm days to come this week. It’s not time to put away the barbeque yet!

Don’t miss out: catch the very last of the plump Dutch cherries before you have to say goodbye to them for another year.

Just arrived: the first of the wild blackberries have already been sampled by yours truly! More to come.

Plentiful: blueberries are still going strong and the Dutch plums have arrived with a bang in all colours. Head to the farmer’s market or other markets to find lesser known varieties (Opal and Victoria are the most common in the Netherlands).

Stock up big on tomatoes for preserving (for home made ketchup!!), broccoli and cauliflower are super tasty right now, get into summer beetroot and cabbage (not just winter veggies!), silverbeet, fennel, and green beans. Enjoy the lettuces for salads and cucumbers on the warmer days this week and pak soy is delicious for stir fries. Lastly, the new potatoes are just yum – simply steamed and dressed hot with dill and mayonnaise.