Strawberries

The first seasonal strawberries appear in our markets and shops in April. The fruit we know today has evolved from the wild or alpine strawberry, which can still be found in grassy woodlands all over Europe. You can experience their delicate flavour in wild strawberry jam which is available from specialist shops. Cultivated strawberries come in many varieties and in all shapes and sizes. Look for fruit that is firm and unblemished and go for smaller fruits, because larger ones, although they may may look like more of a treat, are often watery. Supermarkets will often stock only one or two varieties but if you venture out and find a pick-your-own farm you should get wider choice and more fruit for your money.Adding balsamic vinegar to the strawberries does wonders for the flavor and produces delicious juices.
Ingredients:
1 pint box strawberries
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
Hull and slice the strawberries and combine them with the sugar and balsamic vinegar. Leave for 1 hour before serving.

Sea Bass

Sea bass is best in the winter months and can be bought whole, as steaks or as fillets. A whole bass is perfect for a special meal and is a favorite of many a restaurant chef. You may have to pay a little more for sea bass but its tender, soft flesh and its delicate milky flavor is worth the expense. It can be poached, steamed, baked or grilled but, whichever way you choose, take care not to overcook the delicate flesh. Use herbal flavors such as fennel, garlic, mint, tarragon, and rosemary to complement it.

Sea Bass roasted with Rosemary and Lemon

1 Sea Bass fillet

Fresh rosemary

Extra Virgin Olive oil

Sea salt

1 Lemon, sliced

Slash the skin side of the sea bass diagonally so that the flesh is exposed. Put a generous amount of the rosemary into the pockets. Rub the rest of the fish with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Sear in a pan skin side down, and transfer into a hot oven for five minutes. Serve with a drizzle of fresh lemon and good olive oil.

Pomegranate

Originating in Asia, the pomegranate tree is mentioned in the Old Testament and has been a symbol of religious significance for centuries in many countries. Now cultivated in the warm climates of South America, the Middle East, the Canary Islands and the Mediterranean, the fruit is available from early to mid-winter. About the size of a large orange, it has a leathery skin with a blush of yellow and red. Inside there is spongy pith filled with seeds, which are, in turn, surrounded by a juicy, ruby red pulp. Eating a pomegranate can be a lengthy process as each pip has to be individually extracted, the juicy pulp eaten and the pips discarded. The easiest way to extract the juice is by crushing the seeds through a sieve with the back of a ladle. This can be used to flavor mousse, ice cream or sorbet.

Figs

The fig is considered to be one of the most sensual of fruits with its tempting, luscious flesh that is at its best when it has been left to ripen in the sunshine. The ancient Greeks recognised the health benefits of figs and included them in the diet of the athletes for the first Olympic Games. Some prefer to peel the fig before eating but the whole fruit is edible and should be eaten at room temperature, as chilling suppresses the flavor.

Parsnips

Parsnips are a much-loved root vegetable. They actually improve with a frost because the effect of freezing the living root converts some of the starch into sugar. Parsnips are very versatile and can be cooked in much the same way as potatoes. They are delicious parboiled then roasted until they caramelise golden-brown, mashed with cream, braised, steamed or deep-fried in thin slices to make parnsip crisps, a contemporary garnish or snack. They also make wonderful, creamy soups and partner well with apples, spices, ginger and cheese. They often have a tough core which many cooks prefer to discard. They should be scrubbed, not peeled, as most of the flavor lies directly below the skin.

Chestnuts

Most people conjure up warm memories of roasting them on a cold winter's day. The smell is very enticing and the nut is deliciously moist and sweet. Chestnuts are also important as a baking ingredient because they can be dried and ground into flour for making cakes. Boiling or roasting makes their skins easier to remove and they are perfect served whole with Brussels sprouts. They can be chopped into stuffing for turkey and goose. When buying fresh chestnuts, choose nuts that are heavy and have shiny, smooth skins. They should be used quickly, before they start to dry out when their skins become tough and the nut loses its flavor.

Cranberries

The cranberry was an important staple in North America, even before the Pilgrim Fathers arrived. To this day, New England, the West Coast and the Canadian borders are the biggest producers of this tart little fruit. Cranberries grow in wetlands and bogs and during harvest, in the autumn, growers use machines resembling large egg beaters to comb through the low vines shaking the fruit off. The bog is then flooded and the cranberries float to the surface, where they are easily collected. Cranberries are too tart to eat raw and are always processed, usually into drinking juice or into a sauce used as a filling for pies and tarts, as well as a relish for turkey. Dried cranberries can be used in baking cookies, muffins and cakes.

Oysters

These days, oysters are an expensive luxury, which makes it difficult to believe that they were once the food of the poor. They are available all year round but are best between October and February, when the sea is cold. Oyster-lovers prefer to eat them raw from the shell, sprinkled with a little lemon juice, but they can be eaten cooked. Try grilling them briefly in their half-shells, sprinkled with shallots and a little butter.

Elderberries

Elderberries are not commercially grown but can easily be found growing in the wild. Pick the heads of the berries and be sure to wash them thoroughly before using. Elderberries are a well-known and popular choice for homemade wine, cordial or syrup and their flavour also combines well with blackberries to make sauces or syrup for fools, ice creams and sorbets. Apple pie is delicious sweetened with elderberry and even duck and pork is complemented by its flavor.