November News 2020

November 4, 2020

Friends, we are heading into another lockdown and we can ensure you that we are here for you as normal. We will be open Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 9am to 2pm with plenty of autumn fruit and vegetables, cupboard essentials and ferments to support your immune system. Regardless what’s happening in the world we prefer to stay positive and see good things, this is the only way we can survive this funny times. Love to all , Elena and Puntarelle team ❤️

Veggies at Puntarelle@CoPhoto © Puntarelle&Co — **Veggies at Puntarelle@Co**
*Photo © Puntarelle&Co*

November

Autumn truly arrives in November. Here at Puntarelle & Co we see the change of seasons clearly, and not just in the chill morning start to our day. Our choice of fruits is paired-back now. Yes, we could select southern hemisphere strawberries and peaches but we choose not to. Our customers recognise and appreciate the seasonal shift in foods and so do we. And there is so much to enjoy through November. English Apples and Pears and iron-hard, fragrant Quince are the stars of the show, ably supported by Pomegranates and Persimmons and the early new season citrus from Italy. From Italy too come Artichokes along with the first of the cool weather chicories just as British-grown produce turns to crisp Cabbages, creamy Jerusalem Artichokes and earthy Kales. And don’t miss out on the autumn wild Mushroom season, particularly the Chanterelles and Girolles.

Here is a taster of the things you can expect to find at Puntarelle & Co in the month of November:

PuntarellePhoto ©Evie Saffron Strands — **Puntarelle**
*Photo ©Evie Saffron Strands*

Apples from brothers Ken and John, who grow fruit on our favoured farm in Kent fill our crates with different varieties as they reach their perfect picking time. Pears, from the same source, include Doyenne du Comice and Conference.

Fragrant Quince should be available throughout the month, whether English grown or fruits from France.

Fruit from Europe comes mainly in the form of sweet/sharp, juicy Pomegranates from Italy.

Persimmons arrive from Italy now too, some perfectly ripe, which are very difficult to transport, and others which need only a week in a warm kitchen to come to perfection.

With the cooler weather comes our longing for the new season Citrus. Fragrant, zingy Bergamots begin arriving in October and usually continue throughout November. There are Miyagawa Mandarins and Navelina Oranges but normally have to wait till December for the blood orange season to get going.

Look out for Fresh Cranberries, Walnuts in their shells and Chestnuts, both fresh and vacuum-packed.

Brussel sprouts Photo ©Evie Saffron Strands — **Brussel sprouts**
*Photo ©Evie Saffron Strands*

Organic varieties of Pumpkin and Winter Squash increase by the week.

You can expect to see sweet, nutty Fenland Celery arrive this month. Get it while you can as the season is a few short weeks.

Greens at this time of year include Rainbow Chard, its vibrant stems of orange, pinks and reds stand out amongst the Purple Sprouting Broccoli and Cavolo Nero/Black Cabbage, creamy Cauliflowers & Romanesco and varieties of Kale.

English Cabbages like January King and Savoy are with us in November, and there are Brussels Tops, closely followed by Brussels Sprouts and Kalettes, right through the cold months. The flavours of each get even better after any possible nip of frost.

Root vegetables come in the form of Jerusalem Artichokes, Heritage Carrots, Parsnips, Celeriac, Parsley Root and Turnips.

Potatoes turn more towards roasting and mashing varieties like King Edward but at this time there are waxy La Ratte and Pink Fir Apple along with the good all-rounder Cyprus.

Autumn wild Mushrooms go through into November, in particular Chanterelles and Girolles.

The bitter cold-weather leaves now arrive. Juicy Chicoria, like mildly bitter Puntarelle, so good served with an anchovy sauce. Expect to see green/yellow Endive varieties - curly Frisee, large floppy-headed Escarole - alongside colourful Radicchios like speckled Castelfranco, deep red leaved Tardivo and Treviso and the pink Rose Radicchio throughout the cold months.

The second crop of Artichokes arrive in November and you’ll find Cima di Rapa/Turnip Tops too.

London Fermentary News:

Quinoa and Kale Kraut is in the large 460g jars now, with the same price!

Quinoa & Kale Kraut Photo © London Fermentary — **Quinoa & Kale Kraut**
*Photo © London Fermentary*

Buckwheat Pancakes with apples, raisins and walnutsPhoto and recipe ©Evie Saffron Strands — **Buckwheat Pancakes with apples, raisins and walnuts**
*Photo and recipe ©Evie Saffron Strands*

Here’s an idea for using some of our beautiful English apple crop.

Buckwheat pancakes with apples

For the filling:
About 500g of warm apple compote + a few raisins
(peeled and chopped apples – whatever you have - cooked down with a knob of butter and sugar to taste, maybe a little cinnamon. Add a handful of raisins while the apple is still hot)
A handful of shelled walnuts, roughly chopped (optional)

For the pancakes:

(pancake mixture makes around 12 x 20cm thin pancakes)

120g buckwheat flour
50g plain flour
pinch of salt
1 medium egg
175ml full cream milk + 175ml water
30g melted butter

Combine the flours and salt. Make a well in the centre and add the egg and a little milk then start to draw in the dry ingredients to the wet, adding more of the milk and water gradually until you have a smooth batter. Add the melted butter and mix in.

Lightly butter a 20cm heavy-based frying pan and heat to medium-hot. Keep the heat at this level throughout. Pour in enough pancake mixture to quickly swirl it around the pan and lightly coat it and cook until the underside is lightly browned. This is a sacrificial one as the first pancake is always poor so discard it. Add just a little butter before cooking each pancake. Pour about 2-3 tablespoons of batter into the pan and quickly swirl it around the pan to coat it thinly. Brown lightly and turn the pancake to lightly brown the other side. Repeat the process and when each pancake is light browned on both sides add it to a plate and keep warm in a low oven until you have used up all the mixture.

Spoon a heaped tablespoon of the warm apple and raisin compote onto each pancake and add some of the chopped walnuts folding the pancakes over. Serve with cream.

October 2020 News

October 6, 2020

OCTOBER

Friends, it is October already! Who do shop at Puntarelle, could spot that the produce shifted significantly last weekend. It is lovely to see autumn vegetables and get inspired to cosy meals at home. We are still open Thursday, Friday and Saturday, from 9 am to 2 pm, please do come to shop, we need you guys. Please do follow us on Instagram, we do little videos every week, to see what’s around. Meanwhile, enjoy October news.
Elena x

English ApplesPhoto © Puntarelle & Co — **English Apples**
*Photo © Puntarelle & Co*

October arrives with a cascade of autumn fruits and nuts. Stone fruits give way to juicy Grapes and plump figs. The English harvest of Apples and Pears changes in variety by the week and the Quince perfumes the arch. Milky Kent Cobnuts are joined by creamy Wet Walnuts and soon there will be Chestnuts too. Vibrant autumn colours come too in the orange, yellows, greens and mahogany of Winter Squash and Pumpkins, the reds of early Pomegranate and the first deep orange Persimmons. It’s a very definite seasonal shift but there is much to look forward to in the autumn basket.

Here is a taster of the things you can expect to find at Puntarelle & Co in the month of October:

English QuincePhoto ©Evie Saffron Strands — **English Quince**
*Photo ©Evie Saffron Strands*

Apples from our favoured farm in Kent include Early Windsor, Greensleeves, Spartan, Orange Pippin, and Worcesters. They provide us with Pears too, in varieties like Doyenne du Comice, Conference and Triumph of Vienna - an old French variety with red flush, russet-patched skin and smooth, juicy white flesh.

Knobbly, hard, fuz-covered Quince arrive to scent the arch and mystify those who have never encountered them before.

This month Italian Peaches and Melons are finally edged-out by Fragola Grapes, with their flavours of strawberry/exotic fruits, and the early unwaxed Navelina Oranges. The start of the new citrus season always excites and zingy Miyagawa Mandarins and Bergamots star this month.

BerrgamotsPhoto © Puntarelle & Co — **Berrgamots**
*Photo © Puntarelle & Co*

What would autumn be like without milky Wet Walnuts and luscious Black Figs? They should arrive throughout October from France and Italy.

Look out for the arrival of sweet/sharp, juicy Pomegranates in colours ranging from ivory, through pink to deep red. And we may see the first Kaki and Italian Persimmons, the latter best eaten when they turn into transluscent deep-amber jelly bombs

Seasonal vegetables Photo © Puntarelle & CO — **Seasonal vegetables**
*Photo © Puntarelle & CO*

Rainbow Chard, Swiss Chard, Black Cabbage/Cavolo Nero, Cauliflowers and crunchy Kohlrabi and creamy Celeriac are star vegetables this month. And there’s the second growing of the year of Purple Sprouting Broccoli.

Brussels Sprouts seem to appear earlier and earlier each year, so you can expect to see some this month.

Winter Squash and hard-skinned Pumpkins are starting to arrive.

We have Chanterelles and Girolles from Scotland and expect to have them throughout the month, supplemented by mushrooms from France/Italy.

Coco de Paimpol (fresh Haricot/Coco Beans) are still coming through.

New season Artichokes, bitter-leaved Chicoria and Cima di Rapa arrive and we can expect to have them through autumn.

Photo © London Fermentary — *Photo ©* London Fermentary

London Fermentary News:

Smoky Kraut is back to production! Not much to say here, It is a very nice kraut for people who love smoky flavours. You will find this deliciousness in London Fermentary fridge this month.
London Fermentary has an online shop and this month introducing home delivery across the country!

With such an amazing crop of Apples and Pears coming into the arch at this time of year, we have to point you to this simple recipe that is so perfectly seasonal. You can find a full version in Nigel Slater’s book Tender: Volume II. It’s delicious but if you want to add a little texture, a scattering of a few toasted almonds is good.

Pears with maple syrup and vanilla

(serves 4)

4 large pears

4 tablespoons sugar

750ml water

4 tablespoons maple syrup

2-3 drops vanilla extract

Peels the pears, cut in half and scoop out the cores. Bring sugar and water to the boil, add the pears and reduce to a simmer. Cook for 10-15 minutes until just beginning to feel tender. Lift the pear halves from the syrup and discard the liquid.

Heat the oven to 180C (160C fan)/Gas 4.

Place the pears in a shallow baking dish. Drizzle them with the maple syrup and the vanilla extract. Bake them for around 1 hour or until the pears are meltingly soft and pale gold here and there.

Serve with or without cream.

September News 2020

September 2, 2020

French Mirabelle PlumsPhoto © Puntarelle&Co — **French Mirabelle Plums**
*Photo © Puntarelle&Co*

SEPTEMBER

As we enter September the last of the English Sweetcorn comes through our doors. Quick-growing Courgettes are joined by other thin-skinned Squash varieties, preceding the slower-growing Squash/Pumpkins which keep so well for eating in the cooler months. Climbing Beans like Runner Beans, Bobbi Beans and Fine Green Beans will be good for a little longer and varieties of Aubergine are at their most interesting. English Discovery Apples arrive reliably in August but September sees the Apple harvest begin in earnest with more varieties by the week. Plum types are peaking right now and the very short-season dusky Damson plum and golden, red-tinged Mirabelle make their appearance. Kent Cobnuts arrived in August and will remain fresh and milky for a few more weeks before they mature in looks and texture. Tomatoes and juicy, ripe Peaches and Nectarines go into September but get them while you can.

Here is a taster of the things you can expect to find at Puntarelle & Co in the month of September:

Organic Uk “Roast Potato” squashPhoto © Puntarelle&Co — **Organic Uk “Roast Potato” squash**
*Photo © Puntarelle&Co*

Runner Beans are at their most tender early in the season in August but they can continue into September when they undeniably become a little tougher and need a little extra attention. Bobbi Beans and French Beans can provide a more tender alternative. Fresh Coco de Paimpol (Coco Beans) and pink/white streaked fresh Borlotti Beans are with us still.

English Sweetcorn cobs are at their sweetest but won’t be around for much longer.

Courgettes are joined by other thin-skinned Squash varieties and Aubergine come in in a variety of types. Tomatoes are still full of late summer sun.

English Heritage Carrots, creamy white Cauliflowers, Beetroot, Kohlrabi and Leeks all stand out on our shelves this month.

The seasonal shift into meteorological autumn can be seen in the arrival of new season Kale and Cavolo Nero (Black Cabbage) and the first small Celeriac this month. More interesting new season Potatoes also arrive now.

Mushrooms become more available in September. Scottish Chanterelles and Girolles as well as Ceps.

The new season Onions are always welcome. We hope for Cipolla Rosa di Tropea from Calabria and large, flat and sweet Cipolla Bianca di Giarratana from Sicily along with sweet, delicate-skinned French Oignon Doux des Cevennes.

French Coco BeansPhoto © Puntarelle&Co — **French Coco Beans**
*Photo © Puntarelle&Co*

English Pears make an appearance now and will be with us throughout autumn, though they keep less well than our Apples, most of which will store well into the New Year. Expect to see more and more varieties joining the always early Discovery Apple.

It’s purple-hued Marjorie Seedling Plum, Damson Plum and Kent Cobnut time and we may see some Wet Walnuts too. Early in the month there are small, golden Mirabelle Plums.

Expect French Black Figs and Muscat Grapes and strawberry perfumed Fragola Grapes from Italy. Also from France, Blood Nectarines and white and yellow Peaches.

Early varieties of Pumpkin Squash will come in and we may see some early Miyagawa Green Mandarins and Pomegranates by the end of the month.

Online order in processPhoto © London Fermentary — *Online order in process*
*Photo © London Fermentary*

London Fermentary News:

A couple of months ago we created an online shop for our fermented vegetables and water kefirs. Where you can order every product from the range we produce, some products are exclusively available from London Fermentary website only. At the moment we deliver in London only, zones 1 to 4, every Friday morning. Please visit us and treat your self with delicious food and drinks for body and mind.

Before the fresh climbing beans come to an end, here is a simple recipe for a dish of green beans that makes a good starter dish or a light lunch. It’s easily scaled up or down.

Green bean salad

(serves 4)

800g Runner Beans (or Bobbi Beans or Fine Beans)

150g Berkswell (or other hard sheep’s milk cheese)

50g hazelnuts, skinned and halved

1 tablespoon Moscatel Vinegar

4 tablespoons good Olive Oil

Salt and Pepper

Wash Runner Beans, top and tail and slice them lengthwise 2-3 times (if using other green beans, just top and tail). Drop into boiling, salted water for 3-4 minutes or until cooked to taste. Drain, refresh in cold water, drain and leave to dry on kitchen paper.

Mix the vinegar, salt, pepper and olive oil to form an emulsion. Add the cooked beans. Toss to coat then divide the beans on 4 plates.

Use a vegetable peeler to shave the cheese over the beans. Add the hazelnuts and serve.

August News 2020

August 10, 2020

Italian ApricotsPhoto © Puntarelle&Co — **Italian Apricots**
*Photo © Puntarelle&Co*

August

Dear Friends ,
It is August already! And it is very quiet month for Puntarelle&Co. After super hectic spring and beginning of summer we are finding our selves in half empty shop, which we not use to :-). Many of you are away on holidays and we are so happy for you that you could get away after such a long lockdown period. Meanwhile we have time to rearrange and rebuild the shopping area inside our arch, to get it ready for autumn and winter. We are still open from Thursday to Saturday 9am to 2pm and the shop is bursting with the best August fruits.

August’s arrival means prime English Strawberries, Broad Beans and Peas fade out of the picture and Plums, Runner Beans and sweet Corn-on-the-Cob come into view. The Cherries, which we’ve enjoyed throughout July, stay with us into August, getting ever darker and sweeter in summer’s heat until Plums edge them out of the picture. This is the month when southern European Peaches, Nectarines, Greengages, Apricots, Tomatoes and Melons are bursting with juice and flavour.

Here is a taster of the things you can expect to find at Puntarelle & Co in the month of August:

English Rainbow ChardPhoto © Puntarelle&Co — **English Rainbow Chard**
*Photo © Puntarelle&Co*

Runner Beans arrive and are at their best early in the season when they’re at their most tasty and tender. Towards the end of harvest they become tougher and need de-stringing and extra cooking time.

Bobbi Beans start to come in too, a good alternative to French Beans.

In good years, fresh Peas retain their sweetness and they, along with Broad Beans are likely to be around into early August.

August is the month for English-grown Sweetcorn, always a way behind its French counterpart.

We expect to have Fresh Coco de Paimpol (Coco Beans) right through August.

This is the month to look out for English grown Aubergines.

Summer Squash, including Courgettes and Patty Pan are more plentiful now.

The second crop of Broccoli, both purple and white, usually makes an appearance now and English Chard is reaching its best.

Borlotti Beans are in peak season now. The beautifully red and cream podded beans cook down to a lovely softness in around 30 minutes. They also preserve extremely well, either by drying the podded beans or by storing them in your freezer (no hassle of re-hydrating them later). Just don’t expect them to keep their colour on cooking.

The summer Tomatoes are wonderfully juicy, including Cuore di Bue (Ox Heart) and Vesuvio.

French Coco de Paimpol beansPhoto © Puntarelle&Co — **French Coco de Paimpol beans**
*Photo © Puntarelle&Co*

The English Cherry season continues into August, overlapping with the start of the Plum season. Victorias and Opals are always the first to ripen here, soon to be followed by bloomy, red-purple Marjorie Seedlings.

Later in August, we see the first of the English Apple crop coming through our doors. The sweetly-perfumed Discovery Apple is always the first to arrive.

We can look forward to plump, juicy Blackberries too.

The Currants usually extend into August so you can expect to find Blackcurrants.

We may also see some Kent Cobnuts late in the month.

Sweet, honeyed Reine Claude (Greengage) Plums begin to arrive from France and greengage-style plums from Italy too.

Italian Borlotti Beans for poddingPhoto © Puntarelle&Co — **Italian Borlotti Beans for podding**
*Photo © Puntarelle&Co*

The best tasting Apricots arrive now and we try hard to source good ones from Italy and, we hope, some Bergeron Apricots which are good for eating and for preserving.

Also look out for some luscious Black Figs.

French Blood Peaches and Nectarines arrive riper and tastier than the late July crops. Their touch of sharpness marks these stone fruits out from the non-blood varieties of Peaches and Nectarines which are more reliably sweet.

The fantastically aromatic Fragola Grape arrives this month and usually takes us into early autumn.

Melon varieties become ever more fragrant and juicy in August. Expect to see Honey Moon Melons and refreshing Watermelons throughout the month.

Water kefirPhoto © London Fermentary — **Water kefir**
*Photo © London Fermentary*

London Fermentary News:

London Fermentary Fridges are oozing with refreshing botanical water kefirs and fermented veggies!

Seasonal flavours such as Raspberry, Peach & Verbena are available to refill from the tap as well as regular 300ml bottles. Fragola Grape flavour will be coming at the end of the months too.

All London Fermentary products are available to buy online for London home deliveries every Friday.

To celebrate this time of high summer, here’s a reminder that those seasonal Apricots can make a delicious ice cream. This recipe is from the Kitty Travers’ book La Grotta Ices. It’s lusciously fruity and creamy with a slight bitter marzipan flavour. I can’t recommend her book highly enough, both for the recipes and the evocative writing. Here’s a taster.

Apricot Noyau Ice Cream

Recipe by kind permission of Square Peg and Kitty Travers

(makes approx. 1 litre or 10 good scoops)

About 375g fresh apricots

150g sugar

170ml whole milk

170ml double cream

3 egg yolks

1 teaspoon honey (optional)

To prepare the ice cream: slice the apricots in half and remove the stones; keep these to one side. Cook the apricot halves very lightly just until the fruit collapses. If using a microwave, place the fruit in a heatproof bowl with a tablespoon of water. Cover the bowl with cling film and cook on high for 2-3 minutes until tender. Otherwise simmer the apricot halves gently in a non-reactive pan, just until they are cooked through and piping hot (do not boil). Cool in a sink of iced water then cover and chill in the fridge.
Place a clean tea towel on a hard surface, then line the apricot stones up along the middle of the towel. Fold the tea towel in half over the apricot stones to cover them and then firmly crack each stone with a rolling pin (the tea towel prevents bits of the shell from flying all over the kitchen). Try to hit hard enough to crack the shell, but not so energetically that you completely obliterate it - you want to be able to rescue the kernels from inside the shell afterwards.
Pick the tiny kernel from each shell then grind them in a pestle and mortar with 20g of the sugar.
Heat the milk, cream and the ground kernel mix in a pan, stirring often with a whisk or silicone spatula to prevent it catching. As soon as the milk is hot and steaming, whisk the yolks with the remaining sugar and honey (if using) until combined.
Pour the hot liquid over the yolk mix in a thin stream, whisking constantly as you do so, then return all the mix to the pan. Cook gently over a low heat, stirring all the time, until the mix reaches 82°C. As soon as your digital thermometer says 82°C, remove the pan from the heat and set it in a sink full of iced water to cool – you can speed up the process by stirring it every so often. Once entirely cold, pour the custard into a clean container, cover and chill in the fridge.
To make the ice cream: the following day, use a spatula to scrape the chilled apricots into the custard then blend together with a stick blender until very smooth – blitz for at least 2 minutes, or until there are only small flecks of apricot skin visible in the mix. Using a small ladle, push the apricot custard through a fine-mesh sieve or chinois into a clean container, squeezing hard to extract as much smooth custard mix as possible. Discard the bits of skin and kernel.
Pour the custard into an ice cream machine and churn according to the machine’s instructions, usually about 20-25 minutes, or until frozen and the texture of whipped cream.
Transfer the ice cream to a suitable lidded container. Top with a piece of waxed paper to limit exposure to air, cover and freeze until ready to serve.

June News 2020

June 1, 2020

Veg display at PuntarellePhoto © Puntarelle&Co — **Veg display at Puntarelle**
*Photo © Puntarelle&Co*

JUNE 2020

Dear friends, it was rather different last couple of months!
First of all, we are very happy to know that majority of you are well and safe. Some of you did come around to shop, some emailed us, with some of you we did talk on the prone, some of you were active on Instagram. Without you, we wouldn’t exist and we would like to say big thank you to you guys! A strong community of Puntarelle customers is still here, just in different form. In fact, it became larger and kinder during this pandemic. A lot of Bermondsey residents discovered Puntarelle and other lovely traders at Spa Terminus in this period. We are glad you are staying with us! Loads of you helped each other to shop or collect each other’s orders. Some of you shared food that was in shortage ( like flour ). This is all very nice and heartwarming. It gives us purpose, to carry on what we do and become better!

We have to be very flexible in these uncertain times and adapt as we heading to an unknown future. From June we won’t be doing essential boxes for collection, simply because most of you can come and shop safely now. As a consequence boxes for collections have dropped and it is very not cost-effective for us to do just a few essential boxes. We are open Thursday, Friday, and Saturday from 9 am to 2 pm. However, we still continue with tailored orders made by direct contact with us, by email or text. For vulnerable and those who really cannot leave their home. We are super grateful to all who supported us with boxes collection during this time!

We had pretty stable four / five weeks in terms of how people shop. Every day was equal in terms of the number of customers in the shop. It was very comfortable for customers and our team. The pattern, how customers shop at Puntarelle, has changed now. Thursday and Friday there are very few people shop, while Saturday became extra busy and crowded. It is still very safe, but longer queueing time for people. We kindly ask you guys to come on Thursday and Friday as well, if you possibly can.

Thank you again and big love ❤️
Elena

Ok, news now…

The month of June is laden with expectations. Soft fruits are in their prime and the range of stone fruits starts to increase. Strawberries go from a couple of early varieties from southern Europe to English abundance, Raspberries and Gooseberries arrive and Apricots turn from good-for-jam to sweet enough to pick up and eat. Rainier Cherries from France start the season and there are English Cherries to look forward to. This month we turn more to our local growers. English Asparagus is still king, but there are sweet English Peas, Broad Beans and small crunchy Cucumbers coming through our doors. There are also cooling Melons from France and, hopefully, luscious Green Figs from Italy. And there are Herbs aplenty this month.

Stone fruitsPhoto © Puntarelle&Co — **Stone fruits**
*Photo © Puntarelle&Co*

Here is a taster of the things you can expect to find here at Puntarelle & Co in the month of June:

Asparagus from our Kent grower continues into June.

Artichokes, Peas, Broad Beans, Cucumbers, Radishes, Spring. Onions and Spinach start to come from the UK rather than the rest of Europe.

We welcome more varieties of sun-ripened Tomatoes from Italy and southern France.

Lots of Herbs including English-grown – Mint, Coriander, Parsley and Dill in particular this month.

From Italy comes Green and Purple Ligurian Basil and Lemon Verbena.

Tropea Onions & Heritage RadishesPhoto ©Puntarelle&Co — **Tropea Onions & Heritage Radishes**
*Photo ©Puntarelle&Co*

There are Italian Borlotti Beans and Courgettes – Round, Romano, Yellow and Green.

French Grelot Onions, Italian Tropea Onions and English Spring Onions

Early Corn-on-the-Cob arrives from Spain and France.

English Strawberries, Raspberries and the first of the Gooseberries arrive.

There are French Rainier Cherries and the English Cherries arrive late in the month

TomatoesPhoto © Puntarelle&Co — **Tomatoes**
*Photo © Puntarelle&Co*

Small red/yellow Watermelons, Cantaloupe Melons and new season Sicilian Green Lemons - prized in particular for their highly fragrant zest.

White and Blood varieties of both Peaches and Nectarines (pêche de Vigne) start to arrive.

Apricots start to arrive from Spain in May but June sees riper, sweeter and juicier fruits arriving from France and Italy.

Green Almonds in their furry coats sometimes arrive from France this month and we’ll be on the lookout for luscious pale-fleshed Italian Green Figs.

Water KefirsPhoto ©London Fermentary — **Water Kefirs**
*Photo ©London Fermentary*

We were struggling to fill up our London Fermentary fridges lately. The demand was too high, here at our Bermondsey retail outlet and from wholesalers. But we got an extra helping hands and working on filling the fridges as much as we can. This month we expect to stock with seasonal ferments including our very popular Water Kefirs. Expect flavours like Elderflower & Lemon ( possibly on the tap ), Summer Raspberry, and Peach & Lemon Verbena later in the month.

SEASONAL RECIPE:

We’ve mentioned this recipe for Apricots before, but as the Apricot season is underway, and it’s such a good one, it’s the perfect time to point you to it again. It comes from one of our favorite food books Honey & Co: The Baking Book by Sarit Packer & Itamar Srulovich.

Baked Apricots with marzipan filling

& almond crumble

(Serves 6)

12 ripe apricots

120g marzipan

60g soft butter

100g demerara sugar

For the crumble:

100g almonds, roughly chopped

20g sesame seeds

a pinch of fennel seeds

a pinch of ground mahleb or cardamom

a pinch of sea salt

50g runny honey

1 tsp oil

Cream to serve

Preheat the oven to 200C (180C fan).

Cut the marzipan into 12 pieces. Partially halve the fruits and remove the stones. Stuff each fruit with a slice of marzipan and reclose it. Brush each with soft butter and roll in demerara sugar before roasting for around 10 minutes until soft. Mix the crumble topping ingredients and spread it thinly on a baking tray. Roast in the oven until crisp. Serve two apricots per person, with cream (their suggestion is for a 50/50 mix of double and soured cream whipped with a little brandy) and scatter some crumble over the top.

June News 2020

June 1, 2020

JUNE

Dear friends, it was rather different last couple of months!
First of all, we are very happy to know that majority of you are well and safe. Some of you did come around to shop, some emailed us, with some of you we did talk on the prone, some of you were active on Instagram. Without you, we wouldn’t exist and we would like to say big thank you to you guys! A strong community of Puntarelle customers is still here, just in different form. In fact, it became larger and kinder during this pandemic. A lot of Bermondsey residents discovered Puntarelle and other lovely traders at Spa Terminus in this period. We are glad you are staying with us! Loads of you helped each other to shop or collect each other’s orders. Some of you shared food that was in shortage ( like flour ). This is all very nice and heartwarming. It gives us purpose, to carry on what we do and become better!

We have to be very flexible in these uncertain times and adapt as we heading to an unknown future. From June we won’t be doing essential boxes for collection, simply because most of you can come and shop safely now. As a consequence boxes for collections have dropped and it is very not cost-effective for us to do just a few essential boxes. We are open Thursday, Friday, and Saturday from 9 am to 2 pm. However, we still continue with tailored orders made by direct contact with us, by email or text. For vulnerable and those who really cannot leave their home. We are super grateful to all who supported us with boxes collection during this time!

We had pretty stable four / five weeks in terms of how people shop. Every day was equal in terms of the number of customers in the shop. It was very comfortable for customers and our team. The pattern, how customers shop at Puntarelle, has changed now. Thursday and Friday there are very few people shop, while Saturday became extra busy and crowded. It is still very safe, but longer queueing time for people. We kindly ask you guys to come on Thursday and Friday as well, if you possibly can.

Thank you again and big love ❤️
Elena

Ok, news now…

The month of June is laden with expectations. Soft fruits are in their prime and the range of stone fruits starts to increase. Strawberries go from a couple of early varieties from southern Europe to English abundance, Raspberries and Gooseberries arrive and Apricots turn from good-for-jam to sweet enough to pick up and eat. Rainier Cherries from France start the season and there are English Cherries to look forward to. This month we turn more to our local growers. English Asparagus is still king, but there are sweet English Peas, Broad Beans and small crunchy Cucumbers coming through our doors. There are also cooling Melons from France and, hopefully, luscious Green Figs from Italy. And there are Herbs aplenty this month.

Here is a taster of the things you can expect to find here at Puntarelle & Co in the month of June:

Asparagus from our Kent grower continues into June.

Artichokes, Peas, Broad Beans, Cucumbers, Radishes, Spring. Onions and Spinach start to come from the UK rather than the rest of Europe.

We welcome more varieties of sun-ripened Tomatoes from Italy and southern France.

Lots of Herbs including English-grown – Mint, Coriander, Parsley and Dill in particular this month.

From Italy comes Green and Purple Ligurian Basil and Lemon Verbena.

There are Italian Borlotti Beans and Courgettes – Round, Romano, Yellow and Green.

French Grelot Onions, Italian Tropea Onions and English Spring Onions

Early Corn-on-the-Cob arrives from Spain and France.

English Strawberries, Raspberries and the first of the Gooseberries arrive.

There are French Rainier Cherries and the English Cherries arrive late in the month

Small red/yellow Watermelons, Cantaloupe Melons and new season Sicilian Green Lemons - prized in particular for their highly fragrant zest.

White and Blood varieties of both Peaches and Nectarines (pêche de Vigne) start to arrive.

Apricots start to arrive from Spain in May but June sees riper, sweeter and juicier fruits arriving from France and Italy.

Green Almonds in their furry coats sometimes arrive from France this month and we’ll be on the lookout for luscious pale-fleshed Italian Green Figs.

We were struggling to fill up our London Fermentary fridges lately. The demand was too high, here at our Bermondsey retail outlet and from wholesalers. But we got an extra helping hands and working on filling the fridges as much as we can. This month we expect to stock with seasonal ferments including our very popular Water Kefirs. Expect flavours like Elderflower & Lemon ( possibly on the tap ), Summer Raspberry, and Peach & Lemon Verbena later in the month.

SEASONAL RECIPE:

We’ve mentioned this recipe for Apricots before, but as the Apricot season is underway, and it’s such a good one, it’s the perfect time to point you to it again. It comes from one of our favorite food books Honey & Co: The Baking Book by Sarit Packer & Itamar Srulovich.

Baked Apricots with marzipan filling

& almond crumble

(Serves 6)

12 ripe apricots

120g marzipan

60g soft butter

100g demerara sugar

For the crumble:

100g almonds, roughly chopped

20g sesame seeds

a pinch of fennel seeds

a pinch of ground mahleb or cardamom

a pinch of sea salt

50g runny honey

1 tsp oil

Cream to serve

Preheat the oven to 200C (180C fan).

Cut the marzipan into 12 pieces. Partially halve the fruits and remove the stones. Stuff each fruit with a slice of marzipan and reclose it. Brush each with soft butter and roll in demerara sugar before roasting for around 10 minutes until soft. Mix the crumble topping ingredients and spread it thinly on a baking tray. Roast in the oven until crisp. Serve two apricots per person, with cream (their suggestion is for a 50/50 mix of double and soured cream whipped with a little brandy) and scatter some crumble over the top.

April News 2020

April 8, 2020

Personal message from Elena , London Fermentary and Puntarelle&Co founder:

It was only one month since our last monthly news, but it feels like ages. So much happened since then, all our lives have shifted dramatically, into something new… But, hey, life goes on, fabulous seasonal produce is still coming in! Like any other business in the country, we try to adapt to this new life. Puntarelle& Co and London Fermentary remain open for public. In order to follow government’s guidance and protect everyone’s health, we introduced a number of changes for safer shopping. For now being we are open Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays from 9am to 2pm. We introduced online shop on both websites , www.londonfermentary.com and www.puntarelle.co.uk, where you can order boxes with fresh and fermented food for collection, so you don’t need to queue. We allow only limited amount of boxes to order per week, to make sure our team can manage extra load of work. We will also introduce delivery option to a few postcodes in London from next week. Our veg boxes are based on average basket of Puntarelle&Co and contain all seasonal essentials.

At this times our immune system is particularly vulnerable, not just because of virus, but also due to amount of negative information circulating in the media. Stress and worry is the best immune system killer. Try to focus on positive, it is spring in the air, the most beautiful time of the year, go out to the nature, park, garden if possible. Open your windows or balconies , if you cannot get outside, let the sun in! Staying at home for a while is great. Don’t we ever haven’t got enough time for our selves? Well, this is the time! It won’t be for long and it probably won’t happen again. Enjoy while you can, learn to be with each other at home, we so not use to it , we always busy. Sleep, cook from the scratch , teach your children to cook, dance , read, meditate, spend time with your loved ones etc. Look after your selves and eat well. Fresh and fermented foods especially, are here to assist you. I cannot emphasise enough how powerful ferments are when it comes to immune system. We selected a few boxes with fermented foods to order online , to support your immune system, with a great price.

All our team and my self would like to say huge Thanks to all our loyal customers and followers for your support!
Thank you to new local people , who discovered Puntarelle & Co lately, welcome to our community !

Big Love to everyone and apologies for possible mistakes in text ,

Elena x

Purple ArtichokesPhoto © Puntarelle&Co — **Purple Artichokes**
*Photo © Puntarelle&Co*

APRIL

April heralds a real change in our arch, bringing Wild Garlic Leaves, Nettle Tops and Jersey Royal Potatoes. English winter/spring Purple Sprouting Broccoli comes to an end this month and we see the very brief season White sprouting form this month. Forced Rhubarb gives way to Outdoor Grown Rhubarb. Earthy Morel Mushrooms and, briefly, St George’s Mushrooms are to be expected. From Italy come Broad Beans, Peas and both wild and cultivated Asparagus. Spring Herbs shoot up now and juicy radishes and small crunchy hothouse Cucumbers arrive. We usually see some fantastic Wet Garlic bulbs this month too. There are European Artichokes still, joined by early Courgettes. April also brings the early varieties of Strawberries – French Gariguette but it’s not unknown for us to have UK-grown ones before the month is out. The best Mangoes of the year arrive from India and Pakistan this month too.

Here is a taster of the things you can expect to find here at Puntarelle & Co in the month of April:

Roman courgettesPhoto © Puntarelle&Co — **Roman courgettes**
*Photo © Puntarelle&Co*

April marks the last of the Purple Sprouting Broccoli and the shorter season White Sprouting Broccoli.

We have earthy, saline Jersey Royal Potatoes.

Vitamin C, iron and calcium-rich Spring Nettle Tops (bag with care!).

English Wild Garlic leaves feature strongly this month.

Watercress comes in from France and there is English-grown too.

New season UK-grown sweet, juicy Cucumbers and mild, crunchy Spring Onions.

Romano Courgettes and the first Ridged Cucumbers – so good for fermenting and pickling - from Italy.

Wispy Wild Asparagus from Italy, as well as fat spears of the purple and white Asparagus varieties. If we get a warm spring, there is early English-grown too.

Rainbow Chard from Italy.

Italian Peas and Broad Beans

Indoor and Outdoor rhubarbPhoto © Puntarelle&Co — **Indoor and Outdoor rhubarb**
*Photo © Puntarelle&Co*

Fat, juicy bulbs of Wet Garlic – the first is usually from Morocco before the European ones arrives.

Outdoor-grown Rhubarb, from our preferred farmer in Kent, takes over from Yorkshire Forced Rhubarb.

April sees early varieties of Strawberries, including Gariguette and the best Mangoes of the year from India and Pakistan.

Heritage Tomatoes begin to take over from winter Camone and Marinda this month and large Provence Tomatoes begin to arrive.

Radishes change from large winter varieties to small, crunchy spring ones.

Cool weather harvests of bitter Radicchio and Chicories like Puntarelle and Cime de Rapa reduce through April.

Tropea Onions from Italy make a welcome return.

New season Aubergines from Italy are now coming in more variety of sizes and shapes and there are Spring season Green and Purple Artichokes, large and small.

Morel Mushrooms are a feature of April and St George’s Mushrooms make a very brief appearance.

New season Tropea onionsPhoto © Puntarelle&Co — New season Tropea onions
*Photo © Puntarelle&Co*

Immunity Box Photo © London Fermentary — Immunity Box
*Photo © London Fermentary*

News:
Don’t forget to check-out our London Fermentary fridges when visiting our Puntarelle&Co. We have fantastic selection of boxes with ferments to order online, with a very good prices. Ferments are great supporters to immune system!

www.londonfermentary.com www.puntarelle.co.uk

Rich in vitamins and minerals, including Vitamin C, iron and calcium, considering Nettles as a weed seriously undervalues their nutritional benefits. Here at Puntarelle & Co we have them in Spring and early Summer when they are at their vigorous best. Like everything that grows wild, you need to be sure it has grown in a clean environment if you are going to eat it. Buy from us or, if you have a trusted patch near you, go out and snip the tops. Take care picking them or filling your bag as they pack a mighty sting until subjected to brief heat or cold.

Here is an idea for using them:

Nettle & Spinach Soup

(Serves 4)

Around 350g (12 oz) nettle tops

Around 350g (12 oz) spinach or chard

50g (2 oz) butter or olive oil

2 leeks or onions, sliced

1 medium potato, diced (optional)

Around 1 litre (1¾ pints) vegetable stock

Salt and pepper

Cream to serve

Wash the nettle tops carefully (they sting until cooked) and the spinach or chard and drain both.

In a large pan, melt the butter and add the sliced leeks or onions. Cook, without colouring, for 5-10 minutes to soften. (Add diced potato at this point if you want a heartier soup). Add the nettles and spinach or chard, cover and cook until just wilted. Pour in the stock, bring to the boil then simmer for 20 minutes.

Liquidise then reheat and season with salt and pepper.

Serve with a spoonful of cream atop each bowl of soup.

April News 2020

April 8, 2020

Personal message from Elena , London Fermentary and Puntarelle&Co founder:

It was only one month since our last monthly news, but it feels like ages. So much happened since then, all our lives have shifted dramatically, into something new… But, hey, life goes on, fabulous seasonal produce is still coming in! Like any other business in the country, we try to adapt to this new life. Puntarelle& Co and London Fermentary remain open for public. In order to follow government’s guidance and protect everyone’s health, we introduced a number of changes for safer shopping. For now being we are open Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays from 9am to 2pm. We introduced online shop on both websites , www.londonfermentary.com and www.puntarelle.co.uk, where you can order boxes with fresh and fermented food for collection, so you don’t need to queue. We allow only limited amount of boxes to order per week, to make sure our team can manage extra load of work. We will also introduce delivery option to a few postcodes in London from next week. Our veg boxes are based on average basket of Puntarelle&Co and contain all seasonal essentials.

At this times our immune system is particularly vulnerable, not just because of virus, but also due to amount of negative information circulating in the media. Stress and worry is the best immune system killer. Try to focus on positive, it is spring in the air, the most beautiful time of the year, go out to the nature, park, garden if possible. Open your windows or balconies , if you cannot get outside, let the sun in! Staying at home for a while is great. Don’t we ever haven’t got enough time for our selves? Well, this is the time! It won’t be for long and it probably won’t happen again. Enjoy while you can, learn to be with each other at home, we so not use to it , we always busy. Sleep, cook from the scratch , teach your children to cook, dance , read, meditate, spend time with your loved ones etc. Look after your selves and eat well. Fresh and fermented foods especially, are here to assist you. I cannot emphasise enough how powerful ferments are when it comes to immune system. We selected a few boxes with fermented foods to order online , to support your immune system, with a great price.

All our team and my self would like to say huge Thanks to all our loyal customers and followers for your support!
Thank you to new local people , who discovered Puntarelle & Co lately, welcome to our community !

Big Love to everyone and apologies for possible mistakes in text ,

Elena x

APRIL

April heralds a real change in our arch, bringing Wild Garlic Leaves, Nettle Tops and Jersey Royal Potatoes. English winter/spring Purple Sprouting Broccoli comes to an end this month and we see the very brief season White sprouting form this month. Forced Rhubarb gives way to Outdoor Grown Rhubarb. Earthy Morel Mushrooms and, briefly, St George’s Mushrooms are to be expected. From Italy come Broad Beans, Peas and both wild and cultivated Asparagus. Spring Herbs shoot up now and juicy radishes and small crunchy hothouse Cucumbers arrive. We usually see some fantastic Wet Garlic bulbs this month too. There are European Artichokes still, joined by early Courgettes. April also brings the early varieties of Strawberries – French Gariguette but it’s not unknown for us to have UK-grown ones before the month is out. The best Mangoes of the year arrive from India and Pakistan this month too.

Here is a taster of the things you can expect to find here at Puntarelle & Co in the month of April:

April marks the last of the Purple Sprouting Broccoli and the shorter season White Sprouting Broccoli.

We have earthy, saline Jersey Royal Potatoes.

Vitamin C, iron and calcium-rich Spring Nettle Tops (bag with care!).

English Wild Garlic leaves feature strongly this month.

Watercress comes in from France and there is English-grown too.

New season UK-grown sweet, juicy Cucumbers and mild, crunchy Spring Onions.

Romano Courgettes and the first Ridged Cucumbers – so good for fermenting and pickling - from Italy.

Wispy Wild Asparagus from Italy, as well as fat spears of the purple and white Asparagus varieties. If we get a warm spring, there is early English-grown too.

Rainbow Chard from Italy.

Italian Peas and Broad Beans

Fat, juicy bulbs of Wet Garlic – the first is usually from Morocco before the European ones arrives.

Outdoor-grown Rhubarb, from our preferred farmer in Kent, takes over from Yorkshire Forced Rhubarb.

April sees early varieties of Strawberries, including Gariguette and the best Mangoes of the year from India and Pakistan.

Heritage Tomatoes begin to take over from winter Camone and Marinda this month and large Provence Tomatoes begin to arrive.

Radishes change from large winter varieties to small, crunchy spring ones.

Cool weather harvests of bitter Radicchio and Chicories like Puntarelle and Cime de Rapa reduce through April.

Tropea Onions from Italy make a welcome return.

New season Aubergines from Italy are now coming in more variety of sizes and shapes and there are Spring season Green and Purple Artichokes, large and small.

Morel Mushrooms are a feature of April and St George’s Mushrooms make a very brief appearance.

News:
Don’t forget to check-out our London Fermentary fridges when visiting our Puntarelle&Co. We have fantastic selection of boxes with ferments to order online, with a very good prices. Ferments are great supporters to immune system!

www.londonfermentary.com www.puntarelle.co.uk

Rich in vitamins and minerals, including Vitamin C, iron and calcium, considering Nettles as a weed seriously undervalues their nutritional benefits. Here at Puntarelle & Co we have them in Spring and early Summer when they are at their vigorous best. Like everything that grows wild, you need to be sure it has grown in a clean environment if you are going to eat it. Buy from us or, if you have a trusted patch near you, go out and snip the tops. Take care picking them or filling your bag as they pack a mighty sting until subjected to brief heat or cold.

Here is an idea for using them:

Nettle & Spinach Soup

(Serves 4)

Around 350g (12 oz) nettle tops

Around 350g (12 oz) spinach or chard

50g (2 oz) butter or olive oil

2 leeks or onions, sliced

1 medium potato, diced (optional)

Around 1 litre (1¾ pints) vegetable stock

Salt and pepper

Cream to serve

Wash the nettle tops carefully (they sting until cooked) and the spinach or chard and drain both.

In a large pan, melt the butter and add the sliced leeks or onions. Cook, without colouring, for 5-10 minutes to soften. (Add diced potato at this point if you want a heartier soup). Add the nettles and spinach or chard, cover and cook until just wilted. Pour in the stock, bring to the boil then simmer for 20 minutes.

Liquidise then reheat and season with salt and pepper.

Serve with a spoonful of cream atop each bowl of soup.

March News 2020

March 6, 2020

Spring veggiesPhoto © Puntarelle&Co — **Spring veggies**
*Photo © Puntarelle&Co*

MARCH

The first month of meterological Spring is always the most unpredictable time of year. At this time in 2018 I wrote of snow falling in London and bad weather in southern Europe. In 2019 the last week of February saw record high temperatures in the UK, peeking at a scarily high 20+C. A clear illustration of the spring’s volatility. But whatever the daytime temperatures, night temperatures and light levels play a part. Crops don’t grow quickly at this time of year and it’s a quiet time for our home-grown crops.

Blood OrangesPhoto © Puntarelle & Co — **Blood Oranges**
*Photo © Puntarelle & Co*

We look mainly to southern Europe for fruit and vegetables to supplement our slow-growing winter Greens and Root crops. Tender Artichokes, juicy mineral Agretti and crisp Fennel are examples of what we expect from Italy. Crunchy Marinda and Camone Tomatoes still fill the gap until sun-ripened ones arrive. Citrus continues and, usually, the first new season Wet Garlic Bulbs arrive from Morocco followed by bulbs from Europe. From Italy, the first of the Broad Beans, Peas and palest-green Spring Courgettes. Citrus, including Amalfi Lemons, Tarocco Oranges and Common Mandarins continue to arrive from Italy.

Here is a taster of the things you can expect to find here at Puntarelle & Co in the month of March:

Roman ArtichokesPhoto © Puntarelle & Co — **Roman Artichokes**
*Photo © Puntarelle & Co*

British Brassicas including Savoy Cabbage, green and purple hued January King, blistered-leaved Black Cabbage/Cavolo Nero, Kale, Purple Sprouting Broccoli and Kohlrabi.

For Roots, which store well, there are Jerusalem Artichokes, Beetroot, Turnips, Swede, Celeriac, Potatoes and Carrots. Leeks are still come in from the fields.

Yorkshire Forced Rhubarb is reaching its peak. Its stalks are a little thicker and more deeply coloured now, and are tasting at their best.

Untreated Italian Citrus in the form of Leafy and Amalfi Lemons, juicy Tarocco Oranges and sweet Mandarins. Bergamots and Cedro make an appearance.

Broad Beans, Fresh Peas, Wild Asparagus, cultivated Purple Asparagus from European climes.

Broccolo Fiolare (Minestra Cabbage) and Broccolo di Bassano from Italy.

Time to start looking out for punnets of fragrant Candonga Strawberries from Italy and Gariguette Strawberries from France.

There is vitamin and mineral packed Italian Spinach and Chard and colourful bitter-leaved heads of Radicchio. There’s Puntarelle Chicory and Cime di Rapa too.

Crunchy, juicy Agretti/Monk’s Beard continues, an excellent accompaniment to fish or simply blanched and tossed in anchovy butter.

Spiky Sardinian Artichokes, globes of Romaneschi Artichokes, medium-sized Tema Artichokes and the small purple Petit Violet Artichokes.

Pale green Italian Courgettes and crunchy red Tropea Onions from Italy.

Providing tasty Tomatoes through winter is a challenge but the green seasonal Marinda and salty, crunchy Camone are welcome, and they are at their best now.

Jersey RoyalPhoto © Puntarelle & Co — **Jersey Royal**
*Photo © Puntarelle & Co*

Look out for the first Jersey Royal Potatoes and the French Ile de Ré and Noirmoutier Potatoes. All coastal-grown roots that bring a welcome rush of earthy salinity at this time of year.

Spring Radishes arrive, usually the first are from France along with crunchy small Grelot Onions.

March could see the first Morel Mushrooms - usually the first come from Canada, followed by Turkish ones.

Short season Wild Garlic Leaves arrive this month, and the first Wet Garlic from Morocco before the French crop.

Stimulating, iron-rich spring Nettles could arrive from France soon, possibly before the end of the month.

London Fermentary Botanical Water KefirsPhoto © David Loftus — **London Fermentary Botanical Water Kefirs**
*Photo © David Loftus*

Right now our Water Kefir fridge is loaded with spring botanical flavours , such as Rose & Acai , Rosemary & Pink peppercorns, Calming Lavender and others. As those of you who are familiar with our Water Kefirs know, there is much more to them than their beautiful jewel-like colours. Apart from being delicious, these unpasteurised fermented drinks bring beneficial micro-organisms, B vitamins, minerals and enzymes in a slightly sour, zingy, low-sugar form. More about our range of Fermented products at: www.londonfermentary.com

Photo ©Evie Saffron Strands If you need a little inspiration for what to cook in March, here’s a suggestion: Greens, bacon, cream & mustard(Serves 4) Ingredients:500g of greens - broccoli, kale, kalettes, sprout tops or cabbage, washed and cut i… — *Photo ©Evie Saffron Strands*

**If you need a little inspiration for what to cook in March, here’s a suggestion:**

**Greens, bacon, cream & mustard**
*(Serves 4)*

Ingredients:
500g of greens - broccoli, kale, kalettes, sprout tops or cabbage, washed and cut into manageable pieces
200g bacon (smoked or unsmoked), cut into small pieces
100ml single or double cream
2 tablespoons of grain mustard
Salt and pepper to season

Method:
**Bring a pan of water to the boil and add salt. Add the greens and cook until just tender. Drain and plunge into iced water then drain. Put aside.**
**Fry the bacon pieces until crisp. Add the cooked greens, tossing them in the bacon fat until nicely coated.**
**On a low heat, add the cream and the mustard, and season with salt and pepper, mixing everything well.**
**Serve with bread for mopping up the juices.**

February News 2020

February 7, 2020

January King CabbagesPhoto ©Evie Saffron Strands — **January King Cabbages**
*Photo ©Evie Saffron Strands*

FEBRUARY

In February the colours of January continue with pinks, reds, greens and claret-splashed yellows of Chicories, stems of Yorkshire Forced Rhubarb turn from pink to red and the shades of citrus become more varied as more varieties arrive from Sicily. Large, spikey Sardinian and fat, round, Romano Artichokes share space with an array of British root vegetables, including Celeriac and Jerusalem Artichokes, but, undoubtedly, February is the leanest month in the northern hemisphere’s growing calendar.

Here is a taster of the things you can expect to find here at Puntarelle & Co in the month of February:

Winter SelectionPhoto © Puntarelle & Co — **Winter Selection**
*Photo © Puntarelle & Co*

Vibrant pink-stemmed Yorkshire Forced Rhubarb will continue throughout the month.

Probably the last of the Seville Oranges for making bitter marmalade and buttery curd but there will be Clementins that work well too.

Un-treated, un-waxed Blood Oranges, Sweet Clementines and, if we are lucky, Pink Grapefruits.

Deep red, sweet-sharp, Pomegranates.

English Purple Sprouting Broccoli, which is particularly good right now, and, creamy Cauliflowers.

Hispi Cabbage from southern Europe.

Crunchy, salty Italian Camone and Marinda Winter Tomatoes.

From Italy too, bunches of the Mediterranean succulent Barba di Frate/Agretti/Monk’s Beard, Rainbow Chard, Bulb Fennel, Roman Artichokes and spikey Sardinian Artichokes.

Bitter-sweet Italian Greens like Puntarelle and Cime di Rapa and new season Courgettes.

A variety of colourful bitter-sweet pink and red Radicchio and milder-leaved yellow/green Endive.

Roman Artichokes & Italian AuberginesPhoto © Puntarelle & Co — **Roman Artichokes & Italian Aubergines**
*Photo © Puntarelle & Co*

Vitamin and mineral-rich British Brassicas including Savoy Cabbage, green and purple hued January King, blistered-leaved Black Cabbage/Cavolo Nero, Kale, Brussels Sprouts and Brussels Tops.

Winter Pumpkins.

Root vegetables including Celeriac, Jerusalem Artichokes, Swede, Beetroot, organic Heritage Carrots and Leeks.

Potato varieties are Cyprus and Desiree, Maris Piper, and waxy-fleshed La Ratte.

Fresh organic Ginger Root and Turmeric Root.

Our freshly-stocked londonfermentary.com fridge includes some new water kefir flavours. We have been playing with botanicals for a while, so now you can find refreshing Hibiscus&Ginger and Rose&Acai berri flavours. Don’t forget your refillable bottles for “Kefir on the tap” option. In LF fridge you’ll find an extensive range of seasonal Fermented Vegetables too. Please , check LF website for latest Inspirational Fermentation Course dates www.londonfermentary.com

Forced Yorkshire Rhubarb & Tarocco Blood Orange about to go in the ovenPhoto ©Evie Saffron Strands — **Forced Yorkshire Rhubarb & Tarocco Blood Orange about to go in the oven**
*Photo ©Evie Saffron Strands*

Here is a recipe using fruits that are at their best right now – that beautiful pink forced Yorkshire Rhubarb and Sicilian Blood Oranges. It’s adapted from Nigel Slater’s recipe in Tender Volume II and I can think of no simpler way to celebrate these two wonderful ingredients together.

Rhubarb with Blood Orange

(serves 4-6)

750g Rhubarb

4 Blood Oranges

Caster Sugar

1 vanilla pod

Heat the oven to 200C (180C Fan).

Rinse the rhubarb, cut off and discard the leaves. Chop the stems into short lengths and place in an oven-proof dish.

Remove the peel from two of the oranges, cutting away any white pith, then slice the fruit thickly and add it to the rhubarb.

Squeeze the juice from the remaining two oranges, and pour over the rhubarb.

Add a good tablespoon of sugar and the vanilla pod.

Cover the dish with foil and cook in the oven until the rhubarb yields to the pressure of a fork.

Check and adjust the sweetness to your taste.

Allow to cool then spoon into serving glasses, cover with clingfilm, and chill in the fridge for at least an hour but will keep for 2-3 days.

January News 2020!

January 10, 2020

Italian Oranges & LemonsPhoto ©Evie Saffron Strands — **Italian Oranges & Lemons**
*Photo ©Evie Saffron Strands*

January

December saw us enthusiastically embracing the joys of sweet, sour and bitter flavours in the form of Pomegranates, Persimmons, Brassicas and Chicories and crates of the new season Citrus from Italy. January brings some welcome big-hitters in the vitamin C stakes with Blood Oranges, Grapefruits and bitter Seville Oranges coming through our doors. The first Yorkshire Forced Rhubarb arrives now too, it’s vibrant pink stems bringing a welcome burst of colour to the arch. Chicory varieties become more varied now and this month brings the crunchy, mineral Monk’s Beard/Barba di Frate too.

Here is a taster of the things you can expect to find at Puntarelle & Co in the month of January:

Seville Oranges for marmaladePhoto ©Evie Saffron Strands — **Seville Oranges for marmalade**
*Photo ©Evie Saffron Strands*

Bitter Seville Oranges for marmalade arrive, usually early in the month, closely followed by sweet/sour Blood Oranges, the first coming in from Spain before the truly special Sicilian ones arrive. There should be Italian Grapefruits too to join the Mandarins, Clementines, and Lemons that have been arriving through December.

Yorkshire Forced Rhubarb starts its fairly long season, usually early in the month and continuing right through winter and into early Spring.

Varieties of Pomegranates continue to come from Italy.

English Apples from the stores of our favourite farm in Kent come to an end this month though we still source the best apples and, to a lesser extent, pears which do not store for as long.

Winter GreensPhoto © Puntarelle&Co — **Winter Greens**
*Photo © Puntarelle&Co*

Highlights on the ‘Greens’ shelves this month include crunchy, mineral Monk’s Beard/Barba di Frate which goes so well with fish, Cima di Rapa, and, we hope for Broccolo Fiolare Minestra Cabbage for warming soups.

There is English Rainbow Chard, Black Cabbage/Cavolo Nero, Brussels Tops, Cabbages, Purple Sprouting Broccoli, Cauliflowers and several varieties of Kale.

Root Vegetables include Turnips, Parsnips, Carrots, Leeks, Celeriac, Jerusalem Artichokes and Potatoes.

Varieties of Pumpkin and Winter Squash continue through January.

Forced Rhubarb from YorkshirePhoto © Puntarelle&Co — **Forced Rhubarb from Yorkshire**
*Photo © Puntarelle&Co*

The cold weather Chicory salad leaves are arriving in greater numbers now, including the red Radicchios like Tardivo, Treviso, pretty-in-pink Rose, and yellow/cream red-speckled Castelfranco.

The bitter saw-toothed leaves of Catalogna Chicory and its cousin juicy Puntarelle (sometimes called asparagus chicory, for its looks rather than its taste) stand out now too.

The ripe, juicy Tomatoes of summer/autumn have long gone but winter varieties of Camone and Marinda Tomatoes with their crunch and salinity should see us right through winter.

A glass of Yorkshire Rhubarb Water KefirPhoto © London Fermentary — **A glass of Yorkshire Rhubarb Water Kefir**
*Photo © London Fermentary*

London Fermentary news:

With the Christmas festivities behind us and many people looking for alternative drink options, our Water Kefirs are a healthy option. The choice of seasonal fruits may diminish in the winter months but even now there are some wonderful fruits to ferment. Here is an idea of what you can expect to find in our fridges this month. Water Kefir flavours joining the party in January include:

Yorkshire Forced Rhubarb which ferments to the prettiest, most delicate of pinks, and zesty Wonder Mandarin.

RibollitaPhoto and recipe ©Evie Saffron Strands — **Ribollita**
*Photo and recipe ©Evie Saffron Strands*

Our recipe this month is the perfect way to banish all memories of Christmas over-indulgence. We may have passed the shortest day in the northern hemisphere but that only marks the start of true winter in the UK and thoughts turn to warming soups. With a good mix of vegetables, some beans, bread, a little cheese and a big hit of iron-rich greens, you have a whole nutritious meal in a bowl. What's more its flavours simply get better should you have any leftovers for the following day.

The Italian word ribollita means re-cooked, or re-boiled and every area of Italy has its own version. In Tuscany it refers to a dish of leftover minestrone (soup) with the addition of cabbage and bread. This list of ingredients is not prescriptive and if you have other vegetables to hand, it takes well to substitutions – celeriac or pumpkin, perhaps. The soup should be quite thick and hearty. The toasted bread can be completely submerged in the liquor, which is more traditional, or placed on top.

Ribollita
(makes about 12 servings)

250g dried Borlotti or cannellini beans, soaked overnight, brought to the boil and simmered for 1-2 hours depending on quality, or 1 x 400g tin of beans, rinsed
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium onions, diced
2 large carrots, diced
3-4 sticks of celery, diced
1-2 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
2 medium leeks, halved and sliced
2 medium potatoes
2 large handfuls (about 500g) of Broccoli Fiolare (minestra cabbage), cavolo nero or other cabbage, shredded
1 x 400g tin of plum tomatoes
Water to cover
Slices of good sourdough bread or baguette
Best quality extra-virgin olive oil to serve
Parmesan

Having first prepared your beans, fry the onions carrot and celery on a medium heat for 5 minutes. Add the leeks, garlic and the potatoes and fry for a further 5 minutes. Add the plum tomatoes, broken up, with their juice and add water (do use the cooking water from the beans if you have it) to fully cover the vegetables. Add the cooked (or drained) beans, bring to the boil, season, then simmer for 30 minutes. Add the cabbage and simmer for a further 15 minutes, top-up with more water if necessary but keep the soup quite thick. Check the seasoning.

Allow the soup to cool a little to appreciate the full flavours. When ready to serve, fill the bowls, top with toasted sourdough bread or pour the soup over the bread and add a good slick of your best olive oil. You may want Parmesan cheese on the table.

December News 2019

December 5, 2019

CHRISTMAS OPEN DATES

We will be open at Spa Terminus on Friday 20 & Saturday 21 December 08.00-13.00 each day. We will be closed between Christmas and the New Year and

Re-open on Friday 3 & Saturday 5 January at 08.00

WE WISH ALL OUR CUSTOMERS A VERY HAPPY CHRISTMAS AND BEST WISHES FOR 2020

December

Through autumn our shelves groan with the weight of English Apples, Pears and Quince. Pumpkin Squash varieties increase and nutty-flavoured Fenland Celery arrives for its short season. While all of these are around for a little while longer, December brings a welcome bitterness in the form of Brassicas and Chicories. With luck we have had a touch of early frost to bring extra flavour to the English grown Cabbages, Brussels Sprouts and Kales that start to arrive. Chicories from Italy range from the mildly bitter Puntarelle to the varieties of Radicchio like Tardivo, Treviso and Castelfranco, which also bring colour to the arch. And although January is when we normally see new season Citrus from Italy, some Oranges, Lemons and Bergamot find their way to us this month. There are vibrant Pomegranates and Persimmons too.

With three short weeks to go to Christmas, your festive shopping needs are on our minds, so, the tasty, zesty and colourful will be lining our shelves to take

you into the holidays.

Here is a taster of the things you can expect to find at Puntarelle & Co in the month of December:

Pink Radicchio /Black CabbagePhoto ©Evie Saffron Strands — **Pink Radicchio /Black Cabbage**
*Photo ©Evie Saffron Strands*

As British grown Greens benefit from colder weather, we’ll have Purple Sprouting Broccoli and Cavolo Nero/Black Cabbage, varieties of Kale, crinkled-leaved Savoy Cabbages and purple/green hued January King Cabbages, Brussels Sprouts, Brussels Tops and Kalettes.

Expect creamy Cauliflowers & Romanesco too.

Leafy Cima di Rapa, and heads of Puntarelle with their juicy centres that are perfect for salads (particularly with anchovies) and beautifully bitter outer leaves perfect for adding to soups and stews.

Organic varieties of Pumpkin and Winter Squash continue through December.

Root vegetables include Celeriac, Parsnips, Swede, Turnips, Salsify and several varieties of Potatoes. Heritage Carrots and French Sand-grown Carrots which are sweet and store really well.

Silky-textured British Leeks and sweet, flat Sicilian Onions – Cipolla Ramata - that are so good roasted whole.

Italian CitrusPhoto © Puntarelle&CO — **Italian Citrus**
*Photo © Puntarelle&CO*

English Apples, Pears and Quince continue this month.

There are sweet/sharp Pomegranates and yielding, vibrant orange-fleshed Persimmons from Italy. The first of the Camone Tomatoes arrive now too.

The New season Citrus deliveries from Italy can never come quickly enough for us. The earliest, Miyagawa Mandarins, often arrive from Italy early in autumn, followed by Bergamots and Navelina Oranges but now the Lemons arrive too, closely followed by sweet juicy Nova Clementine Mandarins and, briefly, unwaxed Sicilian Pink Grapefruits (a rare find in the UK). These are closely followed by the Blood Oranges. And soon – sometimes December, sometimes January – there will be bitter Seville Oranges for marmalade coming in from Spain.

We have Cranberries, both fresh and dried, Vacuum-packed Chestnuts, Walnuts in their shells and a selection of other Nuts and Dried Fruits.

Castelfranco RadicchioPhoto ©Evie Saffron Strands — **Castelfranco Radicchio**
*Photo ©Evie Saffron Strands*

For salads, December brings new season Chicories including members of the Endive group like large-leaved Escarole and tight-leaved Belgian Endive. The Radicchio group including Tardivo whose red and white leaves curl into a twist at the top, looser-leaved Treviso and yellow/red-speckled Castelfranco, which is the mildest of the bitter-leaved chicories.

Christmas Kraut & Cranberry/Chilly Water Kefir Photo and recipe © London Fermentary — **Christmas Kraut & Cranberry/Chilly Water Kefir**
*Photo and recipe © London Fermentary*

London Fermentary News:

In December, as we enter winter, you will see a return to our fridges of our popular Immune Booster ferment along with a very seasonal Christmas Kraut. You’ll also find a new seasonal Water Kefir added to the range, which we hope you’ll like as much as we do - Cranberry & Chilli flavour.

Leeks with Caerphilly and mustardmade according to the recipe inThe Sunday Night Book by Rosie SykesPhoto and recipe ©Evie Saffron Strands — **Leeks with Caerphilly and mustard**
**made according to the recipe in**
**The Sunday Night Book by Rosie Sykes**
*Photo and recipe ©Evie Saffron Strands*

Our recipe suggestion this month is one you may want to keep in mind for making over the festive season. It’s the perfect solution to when you just want ‘a little something’, rather than yet another big Christmas meal. It uses Leeks, which are very much in season, for a delicious take on the dish ‘Welsh Rarebit’. This recipe is based on the one in Rosie Sykes’ The Sunday Night Book which is full of easy, comforting recipes. The kick of mustard in this easy recipe will wake up the most jaded palate.

November News 2019

November 6, 2019

November

Autumn truly arrives in November. Here at Puntarelle & Co we see the change of seasons clearly, and not just in the chill morning start to our day. Our choice of fruits is paired-back now. Yes, we could select southern hemisphere strawberries and peaches but we choose not to. Our customers recognise and appreciate the seasonal shift in foods and so do we. And there is so much to enjoy through November. English Apples and Pears and iron-hard, fragrant Quince are the stars of the show, ably supported by Pomegranates and Persimmons and the early new season citrus from Italy. From Italy too come Artichokes along with the first of the cool weather chicories just as British-grown produce turns to crisp Cabbages, creamy Jerusalem Artichokes and earthy Kales. And don’t miss out on the autumn wild Mushroom season, particularly the Chanterelles and Girolles.

Here is a taster of the things you can expect to find at Puntarelle & Co in the month of November:

Apples from brothers Ken and John, who grow fruit on our favoured farm in Kent fill our crates with different varieties as they reach their perfect picking time. Pears, from the same source, include Doyenne du Comice and Conference.

Fragrant Quince should be available throughout the month, whether English grown or fruits from France.

Fruit from Europe comes mainly in the form of sweet/sharp, juicy Pomegranates from Italy.

Persimmons arrive from Italy now too, some perfectly ripe, which are very difficult to transport, and others which need only a week in a warm kitchen to come to perfection.

With the cooler weather comes our longing for the new season Citrus. Fragrant, zingy Bergamots begin arriving in October and usually continue throughout November. There are Miyagawa Mandarins and Navelina Oranges but normally have to wait till December for the blood orange season to get going.

Look out for Fresh Cranberries, Walnuts in their shells and Chestnuts, both fresh and vacuum-packed.

Sicilian PomegranatesPhoto ©Evie Saffron Strands — **Sicilian Pomegranates**
*Photo ©Evie Saffron Strands*