When it rains, it pours hey…?! Whilst it might not be great news for our weekend, half term and BBQ plans, it is providing some much welcome relief to our growers, their crops and helping to quench the land and bring everything back to some lush greenness.
The warmth followed by the rain means we will likely see a growth spurt and glut on some of our wonderful local, new season produce. Kindling market garden has just started with some fabulous and tender young kale, and we expect this to be in no short supply over the next week or two thanks to the quenching we’re getting. It’s so fresh and tender that you can massage it with lemon and oil and enjoy it raw in a salad or slaw, or wilt it gently in a pan to retain that fresh, young flavour.
This joins Libby Flintoff’s fabulous cavolo nero, also known as Tuscan or black kale. It’s a real staff and customer favourite at this time of year, for good reason, and there’s plenty to go around. Cavolo nero pairs beautifully with white beans such as cannellini or butter beans. Leave the cavolo soaking in some lemon based vinaigrette for 10 minutes to soften, then mix with your go-to beans and why not try mixing in some finely chopped black kalamata olives to make a flavourful and filling salad. Delicious also gently simmered in some olive oil and garlic, ready to spoon onto some bread.
U.K. asparagus season has reached its peak, and Bedlam has delivered some especially show-stopping bunches this week, providing us with a full supply of asparagus all week. Always a bit of a treat and a notoriously short season, we are enjoying as much as we can before it disappears (we never buy after the solstice!).
