Seasonal Change

London. Hyde Park "Winter Wonderland. Jamie Oliver's
tent cafe.  The best mince pies ever

With the Northern Hemisphere in the grip of winter,  I guess you who live there are enjoying the richer, heavier foods that help to insulate against the colder days.  At least, that would be my excuse!  How about you?

Quiet times on the beach North of Auckland, NZ

Down here in the South, we are coming into Spring and starting to welcome the lighter foods of summer - strawberries, salads and asparagus.  We are appreciating the shedding of winter kilos.  At least that's my story!  How about you?

 "Bring on the Hollandaise", I say.

Seriously, the change of seasons really means something when food is a personal pleasure and when you tend to eat seasonally as our family tries to do.  Imported fruit out of season is often rubbish! Witness the peaches and nectarines imported from California. I am sure these are wonderful on their native soil, but picking early and shipping do little or nothing for their taste or texture. Much better to indulge in our local apples and citrus, (when we really need the extra Vitamin C) and wait for our summer and our own summer  fruits.  I know I am on rocky ground here, as some fruits and vegetables, such as kiwifruit, do manage the trip with correct handling, although I do remember, in the early days of export to the UK, friends and relatives moaning on about the "green bullets" they were being sold in the shops. I used to get very defensive, trying to describe the beautiful soft, lush greenness that was a kiwifruit "at home". The difference between a pineapple grown and eaten in Hawaii, still warm from the sun which nurtured it and one sold in a supermarket half a world away and out of a chiller is not hard to appreciate and I guess we could all add to the list.

On the whole, for best condition and flavour, buy local produce in season, thus: 

• supporting local suppliers, 
• maintaining a smaller carbon footprint and 
• enhancing your own taste experience.