Seasonal Recipes

Cooking is of course a big part of seasonal eating. Not only do we want to provide you with some of our favourite seasonal recipes, we want you to enjoy both cooking and eating the range of food the UK has to offer. Whether you’re a beginner, keen cook or baker; a meat eater, vegetarian or vegan, there are seasonal recipes for everyone.

Introducing our Seasonarian chef Jackie Palit

Since childhood, Jackie has spent much of her time cooking with seasonal and local ingredients. From helping out her mother in the kitchen to becoming a founding member of Narberth food festival, cooking seasonally and locally has always been of primary importance to her. Since meeting her husband, Indian cooking has become Jackie’s particular interest, although she enjoys cooking all kinds of food. Later in life Jackie opened a cafe in Narberth with a friend, where they continued the same commitment to local and seasonal produce as in their own homes. The only vegetable Jackie refuses to eat is beetroot! After hearing about the Seasonarians movement, Jackie has volunteered to cook a seasonally or locally inspired recipe every month and is looking forward to this challenge!

Recipe Calendar

Spice up your year with some of our seasonal favourites below: 

January

4 Cheese Fritata

  • 4 tbsp of olive oil
  • 2 diced shallots
  • 4 thinly sliced leeks
  • 500g of chopped spinach
  • 1 chopped chilli
  • 12 eggs
  • ½ tsp of baking powder
  • ½ tsp of bicarb of soda
  • ½ tsp of freshly grated nutmeg
  • 1 tsp of ground black pepper
  • Salt to taste
  • 250g of chopped feta cheese
  • 200g of chopped halloumi
  • 200g of chopped cheddar
  • 200g of chopped Caerphilly cheese

Heat the oil to a medium heat and fry the shallots until soft. Add the leeks and cook for three minutes. Next, add the spinach and chili and cook until the spinach is wilted. Drain the mixture in a colander and leave to cool. In a large bowl, beat the eggs. Then beat in the baking powder, bicarb, salt, nutmeg, and black pepper. Then add all the cheese and vegetables. Coat a deep roasting tin with olive oil. Pour the egg mixture into the tin. Preheat the oven to 180 centigrade and bake for 10 minutes. Then reduce the temperature to 150 centigrade and bake for a further 25 minutes until the eggs are cooked through, and voila!

February

Winter Minestrone

  • 2 tbsp of olive oil
  • 1 chopped onion
  • 1 chopped Carrot
  • 2 diced celery stalks
  • 1 diced swede
  • 60 g of pasta
  • 1 small, sliced cabbage
  • 1 litre of vegetable or chicken stock
  • 2 tins of tomatoes
  • 1 tin of cannellini beans
  • 1tsp of dry rosemary
  • 1 tsp of dry thyme
  • Salt and ground black pepper
  • 4 crushed garlic cloves

Heat the oil on a medium heat, then add the onion, carrot, celery, swede and garlic. Fry this for 3 to 4 minutes until the vegetables are beginning to soften. Next, add the stock, tomatoes, cabbage, beans, rosemary, thyme, salt, and pepper. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes until the vegetables are cooked. Return to the boil then add the pasta and boil until just cooked. Then serve and enjoy!

March

Quinoa & Lentil Salad with Asparagus, Mint and Haloumi

  • 1 kg of Diced Lamb
  • 4 tbsp of Yogurt
  • 1 tbsp of Grated Garlic
  • ½ tbsp of Grated Ginger
  • 1 Onion – Ground to paste
  • 1 tsp of Sugar
  • 1-2 tsp of Salt
  • 10 Black Peppercorns
  • 4 Dry Red Chillies
  • 3 tbsp of Oil and Ghee
  • 1 Cup of Milk
  • 6-8 Crushed Cardamoms
  • 2 tsp of Rose Water

Marinade the lamb in yogurt, garlic, ginger, onion paste, sugar, salt and black peppercorns either for 1 hour or overnight. Heat the ghee and oil and fry the dry chillies. Add the marinade and milk. Cook on a low heat, stirring constantly until the meat is cooked and the oil separates. Scatter the cardamoms and rose water on top. Cover and leave for 1 hour before serving.

April

Wild Garlic & Spinach Tart in Cheese Pastry

  • 225g of Butter
  • 225g of Self Raising Flour
  • 225g of Grated Cheddar Cheese
  • 2 tbsp of Chopped Chives
  • 2 Handfuls of Wild Garlic
  • 1 Handful of Chopped Spinach
  • 6 Eggs
  • 275ml of Double cream
  • 1 tbsp of Wholegrain Mustard
  • 1 tsp of Dijon Mustard
  • Salt and Black Pepper

To make the pastry, sieve the flour into a bowl and mix in the butter. Stir in the cheese and chives and bind together. Push the pastry with your hands into a 25 cm flan tin, making sure it comes up the sides and there are no holes. Place in the freezer for 15 minutes. Shred the spinach and wild garlic, wash well then drain. Blanch the spinach and wild garlic for 5 minutes, and then drain. Whisk in the eggs, mustard, cream, and seasoning. Stir in the spinach and wild garlic. Heat the oven to 200 C. Pour mix into the pastry shell, then bake for 15 minutes. Turn down the heat to 160 C and bake for a further 20-30 minutes.

May

Rezala

  • 200g of  Puy Lentils
  • 1 tbsp of Olive Oil
  • 1 tbsp of Red Wine Vinegar
  • Salt & Pepper
  • 100g of Quinoa
  • 16 Asparagus Spears – trimmed and cut into 3 cm pieces
  • 180g of Haloumi cut into strips
  • 2 Limes – Zest and Juice, and 1 extra lime for serving
  • 250g of Cherry Tomatoes
  • 3 Spring Onions – Finely sliced
  • 1 Green Chili – Finely sliced
  • Large Handful of Mint – Finely chopped
  •  

Place the lentils in a pan with 750ml of water. Bring to the boil then lower the heat. Simmer for about 25 minutes until the lentils are cooked but remain whole. Drain and rinse with cold water. Place in a bowl and add olive oil, red wine vinegar, salt and pepper. Place the quinoa in a pan with 500ml water, bring to the boil and simmer on a low heat for 10 to 15 minutes until cooked and the water absorbed. Add the cooked quinoa then add to the lentils. Steam the asparagus for 2-3 minutes, drain and then place in iced water. Drain and add the lentils and quinoa. Heat the olive oil in a frying pan to medium heat, then add the haloumi. Drizzle with lime juice over the cheese and sear until golden all over. Add to the lentils and mix with the tomatoes, chili, spring onions, mint, lime zest, and salt and pepper.

June

Cherry Clafoutis - Serves 12

  • 20g of unsalted melted butter
  • 75ml of milk
  • 50ml of buttermilk or yoghurt
  • 2 tbsp of plain white flour
  • 12 ramekins – buttered and dusted with sugar.
  • 60 stoned cherries
  • 1 tbsp of kirsch or cherry brandy
  • 80g of castor sugar
  • Pinch of salt
  • 1 tsp of vanilla

Preheat the oven to 180 C. Mix the cherries together with the kirsch or cherry brandy. Then place the eggs, sugar, salt and vanilla extract in the bowl of mixture and whisk for 7 minutes until the mixture has become aerated and thick. Add the melted butter, milk and buttermilk or yoghurt. Next, fold in the flour, then divide the mixture between the dishes and place 5 cherries in each dish. Place dishes on a baking tray. Bake for 20 – 25 minutes, checking after 15 minutes. Serve with Ice-cream or whipped double cream and enjoy!

July

French Style Peas and Broad Bean Butter

  • 500g of shelled peas
  • 6 chopped spring onions
  • 8 sliced large lettuce
  • 1tbsp of chopped parsley
  • ½ tsp of salt
  • 3 tbsp of butter
  • 4 tbsp of water
  • 2 finely chopped carrots  
  • 250g of Cherry Tomatoes
  • 3 Spring Onions – Finely sliced
  • 1 Green Chili – Finely sliced
  • Large Handful of Mint – Finely chopped

Put the sliced lettuce and all other ingredients into a heavy pan. Cover tightly and simmer for about 20 minutes. Make sure there is not too much juice in the pan. Grind the broad beans, garlic, salt, thyme, and lemon juice into a puree. Stir in the olive oil. Serve with fingers of toast.

August

 Okonomi Yaki - Japanese Vegetable Cakes

  • 1 Small Savoy Cabbage – Slice thinly
  • 1 tbsp of Sesame Oil
  • Salt to taste
  • 1 Medium Carrot – Cut into matchsticks.
  • 2 tbsp of Grated Ginger
  • 2 tbsp of Soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp of Mirin
  • 4 Spring Onions -Thinly sliced
  • 250g of Shitake or Chestnut Mushrooms – Remove stems and slice
  • ½ tsp of Chili flakes
  • 2 tbsp of Plain white flour
  • 2 Eggs – Beaten
  • 2 tbsp of Chopped Coriander
  • 1 tbsp of Toasted Sesame Seeds
  • Oil for frying
  •  

Heat the sesame oil and add the cabbage and salt. Fry until the cabbage begins to wilt, then add carrots, soy sauce, ginger and mirin. Fry for about 5 minutes before adding the chili flakes until cabbage and carrots are cooked. Add the spring onions, mushrooms, and chili flakes. Cook off any excess liquid for a few minutes. Transfer to a bowl and set aside to cool. Sprinkle the flour into the beaten eggs and mix. Pour into the vegetables along with the coriander and mix well. Place a little oil into a frying pan and heat to medium. Spoon tablespoons of the mixture into the pan. Fry on one side for 3 minutes and turn. Fry for further 2-3 minutes. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.

September

Mamoni's Bengali Lamb

  • 1kg of diced locally sourced lamb
  • 5 tbsp of plain yoghurt
  • 2 chopped onions
  • ½ tsp of turmeric powder
  • ½ tsp of chilli powder (1 tsp for extra spice)
  • 2 tsp of salt
  • 1 tbsp of grated ginger
  • 5 chopped cloves of garlic
  • 2 chopped tomatoes
  • 4 tbsp of oil
  • 1 tbsp of unsalted butter

First, marinade the lamb using the yoghurt, one chopped onion, turmeric powder, chilli powder, ginger and salt and leave overnight. When ready to eat the next day, heat the oil in a deep saucepan and fry the remaining chopped onion until it begins to soften before adding the garlic, followed by the tomatoes and marinaded meat. Mix and fry for 5-10 minutes before turning down the heat and covering the pan. Continue to cook on a low heat and stirring from time to time until the meat is cooked. Then serve up and enjoy!

October

Pumpkin and Walnut Salad

  • 75g of walnuts
  • 500g of pumpkin or butternut squash
  • 250g of carrots
  • 100g of black or green olives
  • 2 pickled green chillies
  • 50g of chopped mint
  • 10g of chopped dill
  • 3 tbsp of olive oil

Toast the walnuts and set them aside. Then peel the pumpkin and carrots and cut them into cubes. Mix the oil in with the cubed vegetables and place them in a roasting tin. Next, set the oven at 200 degree centigrade and roast the vegetables for 20-30 minutes. Place them in a bowl and add the sliced olives, herbs and chopped chillies. Sprinkle in the toasted walnuts and tuck in!

October (2)

Apple and Almond Flan

For the pastry:

  • 175g of flour
  • 25g of ground almonds
  • 100g of unsalted butter
  • 25g of caster sugar
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 1 tbsp of cold water
  • ¼ tsp of almond extract

 

For the filling and topping

  • 750g of cooking apples
  • 25g of raisins or sultanas
  • 115g of plain flour
  • ¼ tsp of ground mixed spice
  • 50g of butter
  • 50g of demerara sugar
  • 50g of flaked almonds

Starting with the pastry, rub the butter into the flour and stir in the ground almonds and sugar. Bind these together by adding the almond extract, egg yolk and water. Wrap the ingredients up and place them in the fridge for 30 minutes. Moving on to the filling and topping, sieve the flour and spice and rub them into the butter. Next, stir in the sugar and almonds.  Roll out the pastry, lining it in a flan tin and put it back in the fridge for another 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 190 degrees centigrade. Next, peel and slice the apples thinly, and layer them in the flan tin. Sprinkle the raisins over the top and cover with the flour mix, pressing slightly. Bake this for 25 to 30 minutes until the pastry is golden brown and the apples are cooked. Leave to cool for 10 minutes and then tuck in!

November

Mashed Potato Pie with Bacon, Leeks and Cheese - Serves four

  • 1 kg of floury potatoes
  • 2 tbsp of olive oil
  • 1 Onion – finely chopped
  • 2 Leeks – finely sliced
  • 90 g of diced bacon
  • 30 g of butter
  • 200 ml of single cream
  • 1 beaten egg
  • ½ tbsp of paprika
  • 2 tbsp of chopped parsley
  • 90 g of grated cheese – local cheese if possible!
  • Salt & Pepper

Place the potatoes in cold water and simmer until cooked. In the mean time, heat the oil in a frying pan and fry the leeks and onion on a low heat until they are soft. Add the bacon and cook for a further 5 minutes. Season and set aside. Next, drain and mash the potatoes and mix in the butter and cream. Season and add the beaten egg. Mix well and then add the leeks, onion, bacon, parsley and half of the cheese. Place in a buttered dish and sprinkle over the remaining cheese. Bake at 190 degrees centigrade or gas mark 5 for 35—45 minutes until browned. For a vegetarian option, the bacon can be replaced with an extra leek.

December

Algerian Lamb and Wheat Soup

  • 500g of locally sourced, sliced boneless lamb
  • 200ml of olive oil
  • 1 large, chopped onion
  • 6tbsp of chopped coriander
  • 2l of water
  • 1 ½ tsp of salt
  • 4 chopped carrots
  • ½ tsp of ground pepper

 

  • 2 tsp of paprika
  • 4 chopped parsnips
  • 2tspn dried mint
  • 150g Bulgar wheat
  • 2 tsp of tomato puree
  • 2 quartered lemons

Heat the oil and fry the onion and lamb together on a medium heat until golden brown. Then add the carrots, parsnips, half of the coriander, dried mint, paprika, tomato puree, salt, and pepper. Fry these for a few minutes, then add the water and Bulgar wheat. Simmer on a low heat for about 30-40 minutes. Take this off the heat, check the seasoning and stir in the remaining coriander. Then serve with lemon wedges and enjoy!

Below Is a list of places you can go to find other great Seasonarians style recipes

Head to our fruit and vegetables page to discover what is in season and where your produce comes from. Our sustainable eating page will highlight why eating seasonally is so beneficial.

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