| Berlotti
beans from Morocco have started and are a good alternative to
the now finished coco de Paimpol. |
| All salad
leaves are coming from the South of France now and the prices
are starting to rise as the demand increases. |
| Early Bing
cherries from Chile have arrived by air freight. |
| Kaki, a
persimmon from Spain, is a much underrated fruit. Leave until
very soft, chill in the fridge and then remove the top and fully
enjoy the rich, sweet flavour with a spoon. |
New
season red onions from France have superb skin finish and
are available in a cocktail size as well as standard calibres. |
| Marrons
Glacés are crystallised chestnuts that are made in the
autumn. They have a texture and taste similar to fudge and are
a very worthwhile luxury at Christmas. |
| Artichokes
from Brittany are finishing and are very pricey as we await
the start of the Spanish campaign due in a couple of weeks. |
| This years
wild figs from Andalusia are small air dried figs that have
no added sugar or preservatives. They are given a light dusting
of flour to prevent them sticking together. |
| Spanish
navel oranges have started, although the top marques are not
sending the extra class fruit yet. |
| Pointed
cabbage from Portugal is a nice alternative to traditional varieties
of cabbage. |
| A new
range of dried seaweeds has become available in bar-coded doypack
packaging. Each variety has a three year shelf life. |
| The next,
and arguably the best, variety of Clementine is now available.
Fina has an easier to peel skin than oronules and the flavour
is more rounded than early varieties. |
| The Spanish
mango season is drawing to a close, but very good Keitt are
still being sent as are the rounder Kent. |
| Spanish
broccoli is appearing in small quantities as the French season
draws to a close. |
| Charentais
melon is available from Morocco. These melons have a smooth
skin, fairly well coloured flesh and a flavour that is correct
for the time of year. |
| Round,
vine and plum tomatoes from the marque Casi in Spain have arrived
and are very good quality. |
| Niños
sweet baby bananas come in large hands with around 16 fruits,
unlike those currently available from Santana and other brands. |
