Eat the Seasons

food & drink seasons eat the

Keeping you in the know as to what is coming into season each month is NEIL MORTIMER from Lovejoys Wholesale...

As always I write this article in the middle of the previous month - in this case mid-July - and we are experiencing some very hot weather at the moment! I hope our local and UK fruit and vegetables won’t be too badly affected by the time you read this! One of the crops that we always hope will produce a good yield is of course potatoes. The best time to give them a good soaking is when they are in flower. Only water when it is cool, not in the heat of the day. Our local Maris piper potatoes are grown just outside Corsham. To give you an idea of quantity we sell over 150 tonnes of them throughout the season. We also sell other specialist varieties for different uses. Luckily most medium to large growers have irrigation but obviously even this is time consuming and very costly. One of my favourite jobs I am responsible for throughout the summer is finding as many different

kinds of tomatoes in the market. Obviously they are one of the most sought after items as no salad would be complete without the lovely red colour. Instead of the normal beef variety we get a chance to buy Coer de Boeuf, their shape is amazing. Heritage Tomatoes and multi coloured cherry toms as well to name few. I know I am here to champion local and UK produce but the French tomatoes this time of year have amazing taste as well. Always look at the label when you are buying them. It is law to display where a product is grown or produced and obviously the more UK produce you can buy to support the growers and the economy is always welcome.

Grow your own tomatoes in a grow bag up against a sunny wall. It is not too late to take a trip to the garden centre to buy a healthy plant. There is nothing more gratifying than picking your own and eating them, with care you can pick them right up to the end of the summer. Flavour is the most important when choosing variety, bear in mind that how you grow has a major influence on flavour. Keep the compost evenly moist and feed regularly to enhance the flavour. Good warmth and sunshine are also needed. The garden centres are always helpful.

As always email me with any queries or comments. Is there any vegetable or fruit you would like me to write about next month?

“One of my favourite jobs throughout the summer is finding as many different kinds of tomatoes in the market.”

Neil neil@lovejoyswholesale.com

@lovejoysuk @lovejoysuk

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