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Making the most of late harvests
By Charles Campion, Evening Standard 04.10.06
Nuts: late harvest delights
At the beginning of October we still have some lingering memories of summer, but when Halloween frenzy kicks in towards the end of the month, things will be altogether colder and crisper. Currently there may still be a feeling of harvest but by November we will be shifting the focus to Christmas.
NUTS
October is a good month for nuts, as hazelnuts are now ripe, brown and in their full glory. Before the First World War there were more than 7,000 acres of hazelnuts grown commercially - and Kentish cobnuts were prized in the UK for their flavour. Today we are down to our last 300 acres but Kentish cobs are still top quality.
The cobnut is the fruit of a domesticated hazel tree and is sometimes called the filbert - cobnuts are available "green" towards the end of the summer, but not until October do they reach full ripeness. This month also sees new season's walnuts at their very best, but although walnut trees do well in England, the French farmers have established something of a monopoly and the majority of the walnuts on offer come from the Continent.
Most nuts will keep until Christmas, but now they are at their very best. Look for both walnuts and hazelnuts in good, traditional greengrocers and larger food halls. At Fortnum & Mason walnuts cost £12 per kilo.
Fortnum & Mason, 181 Piccadilly, W1 (020 7734 8040).
QUINCES
It is a very good year for quinces and the boughs are laden to breaking point.
Goodness knows why, but it is probably to do with the mild summer and a lack of high winds at the crucial blossom time. This fruit is like a large and knobbly pear. Don't worry that they are rock hard, they need cooking before they become palatable.
They are also to be prized in the fruit bowl because they give off a wonderful heady scent as they ripen and turn gold. Quinces make a good, tart and fruity addition to pies and casseroles and go particularly well with pork. For the home cook a good source for quinces is to try ethnic stores - they are very popular in Lebanese and Spanish cuisines.
Athenian Grocery, 16a Moscow Road, W2 (020 7229 6280), Spanish quinces - £3.20 per kg. Green Valley, 36 Upper Berkeley Street, W1 (020 7402 7385) - Lebanese quinces are due next week.
A GREEN GOOSE
In past centuries the feast of Michaelmas at the end of September was one of the four quarter days when agricultural rents came due, and the story goes that the best possible bribe for the landlord's agent was a "Michaelmas goose".
These birds were also known as " green geese" because they were allowed to roam over the stubble fields, eating the grain spilt during the harvest. At this time of year they are still young enough to be tender but already fat enough to be delicious.
Today, if you want a green goose you will need to order it - at Mr Stenton's shop a green goose (dressed weight 5.5kg-6.5kg) is likely to cost about £60.
Stenton Family Butcher, 55 Aldensley Road, W6 (020 8748 6121). Judy Goodman also sells magnificent geese by mail order from Walsgrove Farm, Great Witley, Worcestershire (01299 896272, www.goodmansgeese. co.uk).
JERUSALEM ARTICHOKES
Jerusalem artichokes fly under absolutely false colours, as they are neither artichokes (in the tall, thistly sense) nor are they from Jerusalem.
It is said that the Jerusalem bit of the name comes from a medieval mispronunciation of the Italian word girasol (sunflower), but our ancestors had this vegetable bang to rights with their traditional name for them - wind apples.
This name was due to the fact that Jerusalem artichoke tubers store the carbohydrate inulin rather than starch, and so can have ferociously flatulent side effects.
Some people are immune from its unfortunate effects, however.
One of the best ways to enjoy these knobbly vegetables is in soup, which can be remarkably sweet and silky smooth. To make it, first peel the artichokes carefully, then sweat in butter with a finely chopped onion; when they are soft, liquidise with a hand blender, before adding skimmed milk until you are happy with the texture. Season with salt and pepper and serve. This filling soup is perfect for an October supper.
Jerusalem artichokes are available at all branches of Waitrose supermarket, £1.59 per 500g.
PUMPKINS
October is the month for pumpkins. They tend to be at their best at the beginning of the month, but greengrocers will start to rub their hands together as Halloween approaches and scores of large orange pumpkins are sold for conversion into lanterns.
Perhaps one of the best ways to enjoy the delicate texture and nutty sweetness of a decent pumpkin is in ravioli.
If you are up for making your own pumpkin-filled pasta it can be very rewarding, but you are unlikely to end up with anything as satisfying (and as thin) as the fresh pasta you can buy ready-made from Lina Stores in Soho.
Lina Stores, 18 Brewer Street, W1 (020 7437 6482). Exquisite, freshly made pumpkin ravioli £7.90 per kg. For the vital raw seasonal ingredient, Kelly's Organic, 46 Northcote Road, SW11 (020 7207 3967) stock a large range of pumpkins priced at £1.95 per kilo.
