Seasonal Recipe Round Up: January – February

Eating seasonal, locally grown produce is a really great way to mix up your diet and you might even find that you’re trying dishes that you’ve never considered before.

You’ll also be helping the environment by minimising how far food has to travel, which in turn means that you’ll be saving money and helping to support local, independent farmers and greengrocers.

To help you get started with eating seasonal food, we’ve put together a list of the fruit and vegetables that you can expect to find in season in the UK throughout January and February, as well as some ideas for tasty meals that they can be used in.

Why not get really stuck in and grow your own fruit and veg in your back garden or an allotment?

Cooking food that you’ve grown yourself is super satisfying and it’s a great way to teach kids where their food comes from.

In season year round – root veg

First of all, there are some fruit and vegetables that are in season all throughout the year which makes them the perfect place to start when it comes to eating seasonally.

Root vegetables are a great place to start as many of them are available throughout the year and can really help you to achieve your 5 a day and bulk out a meal.

Potatoes, carrots and onions are all in season all year round, and we use these vegetables in more recipes than we can count because they’re so versatile.

If you’re looking for a really hearty dinner that’s guaranteed to fill you up and is packed full of veg, then our Lamb Scouse is the perfect option.

With plenty of carrots, potatoes and onions, it can be enjoyed at any time of the year, but we especially love it during the winter months to help warm us up.

 

For something a little lighter, give our Bacon, Onion and Potato Bake a try.

Serve with some extra veg or even a salad on the side for a really yummy dinner.

Two other root vegetables that are in season throughout the year are beetroot and swede.

These vegetables might seem a bit boring at first glance, but they both contain so much goodness and can be used in a wide variety of dishes.

If you’ve never tried swede before then try adding it to a stew, or mixing it in with carrots in our Buttery Carrot and Swede Mash for an easy side dish.

Think you don’t like beetroot? Think again! It sounds odd, but beetroot can be used in both savoury and sweet dishes and it really works!

Our Chocolate and Beetroot Cake is the perfect example of this, as the beetroot helps to give it a bit of richness without overwhelming the chocolate flavour.

In season all year round – other veg

It’s not just root vegetables that are in season all year round, there are plenty of other vegetables that can be enjoyed throughout the whole year.

Mushrooms are super versatile and can be used in so many dishes.

They may not be for everyone, but we love them in our Farfalloni Con Funghi! It’s super quick and easy to make and is packed full of flavour.

Cauliflower is also in season throughout the year and it’s a fantastic way to sneak some extra veg into your diet.

Blending it into sauces means that even the biggest cauliflower hater will never notice, which is especially great for making sure that everybody gets their 5 a day.

Our Cauli Mac ‘n’ Cheese is a great example of this as the cauliflower helps to make the cheese sauce super rich and creamy.

Finally, cabbage, aubergines and peppers can also be enjoyed all year round.

Peppers can be used in a really wide variety of ways and we have lots of pepper recipes in our third cookbook.

They also work really well when paired with aubergines like in our Imam Bayildi which is a really tasty option for a vegetarian dinner.

In season throughout January/February

It might seem surprising, but there’s actually quite a wide variety of fruit and veg that’s in season during January and February!

Pears and Rhubarb

Pears and rhubarb are at their best during these months and we love using them up in delicious crumbles.

You can also give our Rhubarb and Custard Overnight Oats a go for a tasty breakfast, or our Pear and Almond Sponge is perfect with a mid-afternoon cuppa.

Thanks to their more subtle flavour, pears also work really well when combined with ginger in our Pear and Ginger Crumble, or in place of apples in recipes like our Apple Strudels. 

Pear strudels might sound like a bit of an odd combo, but we promise that the pears are fantastic when paired with the mincemeat.

Celeriac, Turnips and Parsnips

Celeriac, turnips and parsnips are also in season during these months and are perfect for using up in stews or soups. 

Celeriac mash is also a fantastic alternative to traditional mashed potatoes and can be a really tasty addition to your roast dinner.

If you have any leftovers from your Sunday roast, then why not try using them up in our Christmas Pie? It might have Christmas in the name, but there’s nothing stopping you from enjoying this recipe throughout the whole year!

Parsnips work really well in our Curried Parsnip Soup which is a great way to warm yourself up on those colder days.

Broccoli, Leeks and Brussel Sprouts

In terms of side dishes, purple sprouting broccoli, leeks and brussels sprouts are all at their best throughout January and February and make delicious additions to pretty much any meal.

Broccoli is especially good when used in some of our fakeaway dishes like our Chinese Chicken and Broccoli, or our Beef and Broccoli Noodle Bowls which are both packed full of loads of other veg too.

Leeks are perfect for adding to a really wide range of recipes and are a great way to bulk out your meal. Give them a go in our Ham and Leek Cannelloni, or in our Chicken Bacon and Leek Cottage Pie for a really filling, hearty dinner.

Sprouts and leeks are fantastic when served as side dishes too. There’s nothing better than a hearty Sunday roast with some Balsamic Roasted Sprouts and Creamed Cabbage and Leeks served on the side!

What are your top tips for eating seasonally during January and February? Which are your favourite recipes to enjoy during these months? We’d love to know, so head over to our Facebook Group and tell us!

If you’re new to seasonal eating then our food planner is a great tool to have on hand. There’s loads of space to plan out your meals for the week ahead and jot down ideas for dishes that you’d like to try!