Cabbage There are many varieties of cabbage that are harvested at various times of the year. Winter brings the Savoy, white, green and red cabbages. Raw, cooked or preserved, the cabbage plays an important role in cuisines west and east. It's packed with vitamins, high in iron and potassium and low in calories. Cabbage is excellent finely sliced and eaten raw in salads. When cooked, the briefest cooking methods, such as steaming or stir-frying, are best. Apart from red cabbage, which breaks the rule and benefits from long cooking, overcooked cabbage releases sulphur which reminds many of bad school meals!
Chicory Chicory comes in red and white varieties and is available throughout the winter months. Chicory is propagated by growing the roots in warm, moist peat or sand and leaving the white, fleshy leaves to develop in darkness. Once picked and exposed to light, the leaves start to become bitter, so they should be stored wrapped in paper to keep out the light and eaten as soon after picking as possible. Chicory can be eaten raw or cooked: the leaves are excellent eaten fresh in a salad, tossed in a little vinaigrette, or stir-fried and served as a vegetable side dish or simply as a dish on its own. Whole heads of chicory can be baked, poached or griddled.
Celeriac This bulbous knobbly root is about the size of a medium turnip. It is from the celery family, but has a slightly nutty, milder and sweeter taste. When preparing it, scrub the skin well and remove any brown bits with a sharp knife. Celeriac can be eaten raw or cooked. Try it grated raw into salads, such as the all-time classic celeriac remoulade (grated celeriac mixed with mustard and mayonnaise). Or it can be boiled and mashed into a purée, roasted in butter or oil, or blended into a soup.
Guinea fowl Native to West Africa, the guinea fowl has graced British kitchens for hundreds of years. It is a small bird, wild or bred, and it needs careful attention when cooking because the flesh tends to dry out easily. The flavour is similar to that of chicken but it has a hint of gaminess, which means it goes well with flavours such as chestnuts, apples, herbs, bacon, cider or brandy. When roasting, the bird needs to be basted at intervals with butter, or covered with pork or bacon fat to keep the meat tender and moist. Casseroling is a perfect cooking method for guinea fowl because the slow cooking in liquid ensures sweet and tender meat in a flavoursome sauce.
Halibut The halibut is a huge flat fish that can grow to lengths of four metres or more and weigh more than 20 kilos/45 pounds. These large fish are sold as steaks or fillet pieces but small halibut, called chicken halibut, which weigh up to about two kilos/four and a half pounds, can be bought whole. A white fish with a good flavour, it needs careful cooking because the flesh can dry out. Pan fry in butter and olive oil, or poach in liquid to keep it moist.
Jerusalem artichoke
Native to North America, the Jerusalem artichoke does not come from Jerusalem and is not related to the globe artichoke. It's a tuber and looks like a knobbly, branched cross between a new potato and root ginger, but with a very different flavour from either. Jerusalem artichokes can be eaten raw in salads or lightly cooked in a stir fry. They are good boiled, roasted or made into soups or chips.
Mussels Often regarded as poor man's shellfish, mussels are cheap and plentiful. In the wild, they grow on coastline rocks and stones but they are also farmed in suitable coastal waters. Scottish waters are perfect habitat for mussels to grow in and, indeed, mussels were collected and eaten by Scottish peasants. It was common for fishwives to sell them as street food, setting up stalls selling mussels in saucers with a little cooking broth. If you do collect your own mussels, make sure the waters are unpolluted. They are at their best in the colder months outside the breeding season. Find out more about mussels.
Purple sprouting broccoli Purple sprouting broccoli is best eaten as soon as it's picked, so it's a great ingredient to pick up from your local farmers' market. You can eat it all, including the leaves, stems and purple heads. Sprouting broccoli is delicious simply steamed, boiled or stir fried, added to pasta or as a side dish with any fish or meat dish you can mention. Treat it as you would normal broccoli, although you should reduce the cooking time slightly.
Also in season bananas I beetroot I blood oranges I brill I Brussels spouts I carrots I cauliflower I chard I clams I cockles I haddock I hake I hare I John Dory I kale I kiwi fruit I leeks I lemons I lemon sole I oranges I oysters I parsnips I passion fruit I pears I pineapple I pomegranate I potatoes (main crop) I rhubarb (forced) I salmon I swede I turnips I turbot I venison I walnuts
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