November Foods in Season and What to Cook With Them

Squash and Veggies

Don’t forget that pumpkin is now readily available and gets much cheaper after all the Halloween celebrations are over. Other squash, like the butternut are also now in season and great for cooking in either sweet or savoury dishes. One more item on the list of ‘to eats’ is healthy and delicious nuts. Chestnuts, hazelnuts and walnuts are all now in abundance if you look out for them.

The making of quiche or a savoury tart is highly recommended as a way of using leeks or even artichoke in a very creative fashion. Or why not use a staple like a pearl barley and combine with kale into a soup dish, which is a nice change from the summer flavours. If sweet squash isn’t your thing, then make a hot spicy curry to balance out the natural flavours.

November Cuts

Now is a great time to speak kindly to your butcher and see if you can enjoy the best of the winter meats and poultry available. This is an excellent time of year to buy goose and enjoy this wonderfully flavoured bird. What better than a well roasted goose with all the winter root vegetables and a rich gravy? Another great buy is grouse and pheasant, which can be cooked slowly and will make a memorable feast for a family. The advantage of cooking stews is that even if you buy cheaper cuts then it will result in really tender meats after cooking for an hour or so. Rabbit, duck and venison are good meats to buy at this time of year.

Fruits of the Sea

Now that the ocean and sea temperatures are dropping, it means that the tastiest seafood is becoming available! Pop down to your local fishmonger or seafood counter and look at what the catch of the day will be. Whether it’s oysters, mussels or crab that tickles your fancy, it is a great time to seek out new flavours and celebrate around a dinner table. Just don’t forget the white wine, and then all will be fine!

In terms of fresh fish, then check for fresh haddock, cod, mackerel, plaice and monkfish, which are all great at this time of year. Let’s face it, once you have a decent piece of fresh fish, you don’t need to worry too much as the fresh flavours are all you really need, without any over complicated long recipes to have to worry about.

Seasonal Fruits

Well, it’s a good time for fruits like cranberries, apples, and pears, so don’t be shy and get baking or creative with these seasonal delights. It’s now a good time of year for apple crumble or making a pear dessert. One thing that is sure is that imported fruit brightens our dark winters with fruits like clementines, satsumas, passion fruit and pomegranates. One fun and more unusual fruit that is really worth researching is the quince, so look out for this wonderful fruit and make your dinner party guests both happy and curious.