Eating seasonally, when produce is packed full of flavour is without a doubt the best way for you to enjoy food at its best. Each month we will be highlighting what’s in season and also share one of our favourite recipes using some of these great ingredients. We hope that it’ll inspire you to get in the kitchen, start cooking and ultimately support great British food.
Our seasonal delight this month is Blueberries. Known as one of the superfoods, blueberries are sweet, juicy little bundles of joy. Eaten straight from the punnet or served in a cake they truly are delicious.
You’d be forgiven for thinking that our British soils couldn’t possibly grow such wonderful berries, but you’re wrong. Blueberries tend to grow better in much colder climates which tends to bode well for British temperatures. The cooler air actually adds to their already tangy flavour, meaning that some of the best blueberries in the world are grown this side of the Atlantic Ocean – something to be very proud of.
The nutritional value of blueberries is over whelming. Jam packed with anthocyanins, which give berries their deep blue colour and high levels of antioxidants – it’s no wonder they are classed as a superfood. These little berries possess notable health benefits, helping protect your body against cancers, ageing, degenerative diseases, infections, as well as helping you lower blood sugar levels and control blood glucose levels. If that wasn’t enough a 100g portion only contains around 57 calories, so you’ll be looking after your waistline as well as contributing immensely towards optimum health and wellness.
Enjoy blueberries on their own or throw them in to a cake or tart – either way they’ll always be delicious. Once cooked, blueberries release lots of those beautiful purple juices which make them a welcome addition to a variety of dishes. Blueberries work particularly well in muffins, cheesecakes, crumbles or in a beautiful summer pudding. You could also cook blueberries with a splash of water and some sugar and add them to a huge bowl of Greek yogurt for a quick and easy summer dessert.
For our recipe of the month, we’ve added a healthy extra to a rather naughty chocolate smoothie, in the form of our seasonal delight, blueberries. Our Chocolate Blueberry Smoothie is topped with moreish berries making this treat a mix of naughty and nice - it’s the perfect addition for lazy summer afternoons.
Other Seasonal Delights:
Vegetables: Apple, Chillies, Marrow, Pepper, Sweetcorn, Courgette, Fennel
Fruit: Plums, Apricots, Blueberries, Gooseberries, Raspberries, Strawberries, Tomatoes
Fish & Shellfish: Monkfish, Sea Bass, Crab, Pollack, Squid
Meat & Game: Beef, Rabbit