Seasons

Seasonal food by month

1. January

   Forget cabbage soup: inject colour into a grey month with dazzling seasonal dishes. Pep up steamed puddings with January's star turns, Seville and blood oranges and bracing forced rhubarb.

2. February

   Wage war on the cold with fortifying tagines, hearty stews and comfort food. Try roast venison with kale and sprouting broccoli or fish pies boasting fresh clams and mussels.

3. March

   As the days get longer, help yourself to fresh seasonal flavours. Stuff cockles into a rustic paella, serve grilled sardines with lemon wedges, or wow with native oysters.

4. April

   April's seasonal ingredients peak like soufflés, so make the most of them before they run out of puff. Get cracking with your crabs, pick your own pungent wild garlic and go wild for morels.

5. May

   British classics pave the way to summer, led by majestic Jersey Royals and May’s crowning glory, asparagus. Make a meal of these seasonal big-hitters with tender young lamb and samphire.

6. June

   Strawberries are summer's stand-out sensation, but it's just not tennis without the rest of the seasonal berries.Broad beans, tomatoes and fresh peas are also unmissable in June.

7. July

   Pack a hamper and escape to the country this July. Grilled artichokes, fennel salads and mackerel couscous all travel well; plump cherries and luscious peaches are a fail-safe finish.

8. August

   Make August meals al fresco. Start with delicate scallops, then fire up the grill and barbecue sea bass, homemade burgers or bright peppers. Finish with a simple plate of ripe blackberries.

9. September

   The first oysters fresh off the boat are, frankly, irresistible, but the rest of September’s harvest can be saved for deep midwinter. Preserve pears and freeze blackberries for use in wintry fruit pies.

10. October

    Pumpkins hog the limelight in October, but don't forget less showy seasonal fare. Celebrate the game season with slow-cooked pheasant, wild mushrooms and hearty root vegetables.

11. November

    The first frosts yield the sweetest parsnips, to be served alongside Jerusalem artichokes in a slap-up roast, or blitzed into a spicy soup. Sweet roast chestnuts and juicy satsumas also come to the force.

12. December

    Quintessential turkey and Brussels sprouts are at their best at the tail-end of the year, while jewel-bright pomegranates and sweet, juicy clementines bring verve and zing to the party.