August Seasonal Produce - Seasonal British Strawberries

School holidays are well underway and the weather tends to be rather wet… If we are lucky August summer-time is lazy, warm and wonderful. The hustle and bustle quietens down and superb August Seasonal Produce makes for easy dishes, where ripe, sweet flavours shine through.

Summer seasonal fruit and vegetables are abundant now and we should make the most of preserving methods: pickling, jam, chutney, fermentation. All are wonderful ways to enjoy the abundance through the winter and into next year.

If you want to find out exactly what is in season in the UK at the moment check out my FREE Seasonal Produce Posters. There are two posters you can save and/ or print to use as quick reference guides for UK Seasonal Produce. Click the button below to sign-up and download.

Why Eat Seasonally?

There are so many reasons to eat seasonal food. That is, food that is seasonal to your country or region.

1. Seasonal food requires less human interference. For example food grown out of season is highly likely to require poly-tunnels (and other similar temporary structures and materials), heat, excessive water, fertiliser, pesticides, herbicides and so on. Seasonal food is cheaper and better for the environment.

2. Seasonal food has less distance to travel to get you your plate. Therefore it is fresh and better for the environment

3. Seasonal food tastes better and is better quality. This is because it is growing in conditions it is meant to grow in. Temperature, humidity, sunshine, water etc. Less waste and better taste.

Isn’t Eating Seasonally Difficult?

No!!! But, I get that you might think that it’s hard.

The UK is very lucky to have good seasonal crops most of the year and when some crops are not in season they store really well (e.g. root vegetables, apples etc.) so they are available for a large part of the year. However, most of the roundup here applies to much of the northern hemisphere. There are, of course local crops that it would just be too difficult (and lengthy) to add all produce and all timings to the list but you can still use these lists as a guide throughout the northern hemisphere.

However, not all parts of the UK are able to grow crops this could be due to ground conditions or climate. The UK is fairly small so transport around parts of the UK is pretty straightforward.

Eating seasonal food does not need to be prescriptive, awareness of what is in season (and good value) where you live can be enlightening and make meal planning easy.

When crops are in season they are cheap, plentiful and taste amazing. That is the time to buy them and freeze them. Especially fruit. Frozen food is AMAZING and is a really great way to get high quality fruit and veg throughout the year.

August Seasonal Produce Roundup – What Is In Season

Here’s all the fruits, herbs and vegetables in season this month around the UK.

August Seasonal Produce Roundup – Fruits

Seasonal fruit is wonderful this month. Apples have arrived! We have

Apples: Bramley – the best bakers for crumble, tarts and preserves
Apricots – perfect just the way they are or make jam if you have lots
Black/ white/ redcurrants – perfect little tart flavour bursts, best used in jams and preserves. They make a fabulous wine
Blueberries – in season these are a magical flavour when they burst in your mouth. Simply lovely in Gluten-Free, Vegan Lemon and Blueberry Cheesecake and for a substantial breakfast try Blueberry Polenta Muffins
Cherries – warm from the sun cherries are a delightful flavour. Life is too short to stone a cherry. Just eat them (unless you have too many and then get making some preserves)
Figs – just amazing straight from the tree if you can stop yourself from eating them figs are great in warm salads and in tarts
Greengages – small green plums is the best description. Great eaten fresh, baked in a tart and a brilliant preserve ingredient
Loganberries – a cross between blackberries and raspberries. Fabulous as they are, in tarts, jams, pickles or you could try loganberry wine
Nectarines – fabulous and juicy, slice in half and grill for Grilled Nectarine Salad with Rocket and Walnuts
Peaches – grilled peach salad or peach chutney are two winners
Plums – fabulous in preserves but also great stewed with cinnamon and nutmeg and served with gluten-free, vegan icecream
Raspberries – always good with chocolate – Chocolate, Hazelnut and Raspberry Torte anyone?
Strawberries – need no introduction, perfect the way they are. However, also wonderful in Strawberry and Raspberry Eaton Mess and the fabulously indulgent Uber Rich Chocolate and Strawberry Brownies.

August Seasonal Produce Roundup – Herbs

Herbs seasonality maintains the choice from July. Lavender a wonderful aromatic to enjoy this month. Available herbs this month include

Basil – aromatic and fabulous with tomatoes added to a Rich Tomato Sauce at the end of cooking or in a tomato salad
Bay – fabulous with any long cooked dish such as casseroles or roasts.
Borage – with a taste similar to cucumber it is great in salads, soups and with gluten-free pasta. The flower is sweet and can be used to decorate desserts
Chives – delicate herbs with a strong flavour great garnish that actually adds flavour and depth to spinach and potato soup
Coriander – some people have a strong dislike of coriander (like me with grapefruit!) but the slightly soapy pungency works so well with Vietnamese style salads and tofu dishes as well as curry. Try out Chick Peas and Kale in Tamarind Tomato Sauce
Lavender – not just an amazing border but wonderful in Lavender Ice Cream, sorbet and with strawberries
Marjoram – wonderful fresh in super simple tomato salad with olive oil and salt
Mint – fantastic added to Vietnamese Summer Rolls, amazing in cocktails like Cranberry Mojito
Oregano – (AKA wild marjoram) wonderful in salads and tomato sauces
Parsley: curly, flat – a robust herb that works so well with walnuts and really fabulous in Carrot, Parsley and Butter Bean Soup
Rosemary – the smell of fresh rosemary is instantly relaxing. Wonderful with roast potatoes. Really fabulous in Gluten Free, Vegan Rosemary and Sea Salt Crackers
Sage – whole sage leaves fried until crisp top and complete any gnocchi dish also very, very good with mushrooms in Baked Mushrooms With Crispy Sage
Savory: summer – great with beans, the flavour reduces the longer it is cooked
Tarragon – delicate aniseed flavour which works wonderfully with delicately handled mushrooms
Thyme: common, lemon – pungent wonderful flavour. Amazing with roast potatoes, baked with nectarines and added to a warm salad

August Seasonal Produce Roundup – Vegetables

Vegetables are abundant in August. Look out for the garden peas. Too good to cook, eat them straight from the pod. Available June seasonal vegetables (and they will vary according to region) include

Artichoke: Jerusalem – can make you windy but great in Jerusalem Artichoke and Sweet Potato Soup
Aubergine – bake whole to make Baba Ganoush, fry slices and bake in Porcini and Cavolo Nero Lasagne or just wonderful in Ratatouille
Beans: borlotti , broad, French, runner, flat – fabulous in a fresh borlotti bean soup or in a warm salad dressed with lemon juice
Beetroot – earthy and sweet. Gorgeous as a light pickle but amazing raw in salads. How about Beetroot and Millet Mega-Salad
Broccoli: calabrese, purple sprouting – a stirling vegetable that is wonderful steamed and served with slivered almonds. Light and summery in Broccoli, Kale and Pea Salad
Cabbage: red, white – wonderful shredded in Cabbage and Carrot Salad, red is particularly great as a side cooked with star anise
Carrots – almost too good to cook. Grate and slice in to strips in salads with toasted caraway seeds.
If you want a light, delightful summer soup try Carrot and Lemon Soup
Cauliflower – so versatile, raw, steamed, riced, roasted or in Cauliflower, Almond and Nutmeg Soup
Cavolo nero – a wonderful dark green its almost black and so easy to grow, amazing steamed with olive oil, salt and pepper. I adore cavolo nero in the super rich Porcini and Cavolo Nero Lasagne
Celeriac – fabulous roasted and made in to a silky soup or raw in Celeriac Caper and Rocket Salad
Celery – one of the foundations of classic cookery with a very distinctive taste. Great in salads with apples and walnuts or in stews and soups
Chard – amazing and especially wonderful in Chard, Courgette and Pea Tart
Chicory/ endive/ radicchio – slightly bitter tasting but if you grill and use in a simple salad with olive oil and walnuts it is wonderful stuff. For more oomph I recommend Endive Salad with Pears and Almonds
Chilli – I love chillies, use in everything (dependent upon the heat and flavour) from guacamole to Ma Po Tofu to Chilli Sin Carne and all the other amazing uses in between
Courgettes – underused as a salad vegetable or slice thinly, grill and add to salads with lemon and flaked almonds
Cress: mustard/ mixed – always available, what more do you need to top off a salad. I adore Radish and Cress Salad
Cucumber – nothing better than in season cucumber with the seeds removed and sliced with sesame, soy sauce an toasted sesame seeds
Edible flowers – lots available from borage to nasturtium a striking addition to any salad, the tastes are amazing
Fennel – a lovely aniseed taste crunchy addition to salads. Great roasted with lemon
Garlic – a foundation to classic cookery, what isn’t garlic in. Roast whole to get a wonderful flavour
Kohlrabi – turnip like but with distinct layers. The tops can be used as greens, the flesh is great in salads
Lettuce: cos, curly, iceberg, lambs, little gem, round – – one of the fundamental salad ingredients, keep it simple with a light dressing, enjoy the in season flavours
Marrow – roast with lots of spices and use in soups
Mushrooms: button / cup /flat (cultivated), enoki (Cultivated), girolle Scottish (wild), oyster (cultivated), pied bleu (cultivated), shitake (cultivated) – lots of different types with different flavours, bring out the earthy, nutty flavours in a risotto, Lentil and Mushroom Soup, or a simple stir fry
Onions – a fundamental ingredient in many kitchens and forms the foundation to many classic dishes
Pak Choi – wonderful in a stir fry with chilli and soy sauce
Parsnip – nutty, sweet and the best flavour comes from roasting and then you can use in a roast, make Parsnip and Walnut Soup with Walnut Pesto or how about the splendiferous Parsnip Loaf Cake With Orange Frosting
Peas – if you must cook them use them in risotto at the last minute to keep their delicate texture and flavour or try a light,delicate and delicious Lettuce and Pea Soup
Peppers: capsicum – versatile and available in several colours each with a subtly different flavour. Fabulous in a robust salad, as a key ingredient in Ratatouille, in Tofu and Green Peppers in Black Bean Sauce
Potatoes – early: Jersey royals, maris bard, pentland javelin – new potatoes are perfect with their waxy integrity for potato salads with a light dressing, mint and salt. Try the incredibly simple and delightful Jersey Royal Potatoes with Mint
Potatoes – main crop: anya, King Edward, marfona, maris piper, pink fir apple, rooster – perfect for Crispy Roast Potatoes, mashing or chips!
Pumpkin – wonderful Roasted Squash with spices and then the options are endless
Radish: daikon/ mooli – fabulous as Japanese style pickle accompaniment or as the main ingredient in Chinese turnip cakes. The green tops are eaten in Pakistan
Radishes – the mustardy heat of home grown radishes is wonderful. A simple salad like Fennel, Radish and Orange Salad is a perfect showcase
Rocket – growing like Billy-O at the moment, mustard hot, avocado and rocket salad is wonderful as is Celeriac Caper and Rocket Salad
Romanesco – the most beautiful vegetable in the world. Crunchy and mild great in salads and steamed
Samphire – there are lots of types of samphire. Mild and crunchy it is wonderful pickled, used in salads or lightly steamed
Savoy cabbage – amazing really finely sliced in a stir fry or use to wrap Walnut and Mushroom Parcels
Spinach – deep greens with a light metallic tinge, perfect in salads, great in bakes
Spring greens- delicate steam to get the best from their delicate flavour
Spring Onions – great in salads and as a garnish to stir fries
Sweetcorn – fresh sweetcorn in a wonder try grilled whole on a barbecue or in a corn chowder
Tomatoes – lots and lots of types of tomatoes in varying sizes, shapes and flavours. Serve at room temperature with a good olive oil and sea salt. More battered tomatoes can be made in to chutneys, pickles and tomato sauces
>Turnips – a much under rated salad vegetable, sweet and peppery, slice thinly with carrots and parsley or try Winter Vegetable Salad With Walnut Dressing

Watercress – iron rich and peppery a wonderful salad foundation and you can make an awesome Watercress Soup.