August Fruit and Vegetables

August is the month to make the most of the last lazy days of summer and its abundance of fresh produce. The crops may be changing, but the picture for this month closely resembles that of the last, July. This is the month to gladden the hearts of vegetable lovers. Good English strawberries are now on their way out and asparagus and Jersey Royals are mostly finished, but other potatoes like Maris Piper, which are great for summer salads, are particularly good this month.

As for greens, there is so much to get excited about in August that it’s hard to know where to start. Sweetcorn, peas, tomatoes, cucumbers, salad leaves, and courgettes – these are all continuing to thrive under the summer sun. This is also the peak time for UK herbs, which will be popping up in domestic gardens and on commercial farms; get maximum mileage out of these summer luxuries while they last.

Other new vegetable arrivals will be aubergines and peppers, which are grown outdoors in the hot weather of southern France and Italy. Take advantage of these sunshine fruits now and through to September with ratatouille, relishes, and salsas or add them to the barbecue with courgettes to make a seasonal summer vegetable platter.

Another true August star is runner beans, always at their best if picked young before they have had a chance to develop the powerful string and skins that make preparation and eating a bit of a chore. Slicing and buttering them with buttery hazel or cob nuts is an unusual way to serve them. If you can only find the larger beans, de-stringing, slicing, and long cooking are more or less essential, or you could use mangetout, which should also be at their best this month, which make an easier replacement.

Don’t forget the new crops of cauliflower, beetroot, carrots and leeks, all of which should be at their youngest and most tender. This is the prime time to eat cauliflower and carrots raw, as crudités with dips or vinaigrettes, and also the best time to put up a store of achar or piccalilli for the year ahead.

Vegetable soups are also an area to explore in the month of August. Be adventurous with ‘Tomato and Red Pepper Soup’ or a delectable Magic Vegetable Soup’.

Another vegetable to pounce on when you see them are the best of the summer’s globe artichokes from France and Italy. They should start arriving early in the month. Globe artichokes, the flower head of a member of the thistle family, are among the strangest of all vegetables. Something like 80% of each flower is inedible, but these are also one of the most luxurious of vegetables, which are at their height in high summer. There are two types available: small ones from Italy and large ones from Brittany in France. Care is needed in buying: there should be no sign of browning or shrivelling, and the tips of the leaves should feel soft rather than sharp and spiny. Go for specimens with tightly packed, crisp green or purple leaves with a slight bloom. Fresh ones should feel heavy for their size, and the leaves should 'squeak' when the bud is gently squeezed. Artichokes hold a lot of grit, which is best removed by soaking and then giving a vigorous shaking in the water.

When cooking artichokes, iron, copper and aluminium cookware may cause artichokes to discolour; stainless steel, glass or enamel is the better cookware to use.

To prepare whole, cut the tough tips of the leaves off with scissors, holding the stalk to keep the artichoke steady. Using a knife, slice the base off, so that it will sit upright, before trimming off the pointed top - the younger the artichoke, the less you'll need to cut off. Pull the pale centre leaves out, then scoop the choke out with a spoon, without disturbing the heart underneath.
To prevent browning, drop each one in a bowl of water to which a little lemon juice has been added. Cook them in a pan of boiling salted water for 35-45 minutes - when they're ready you should easily be able to pull out a leaf. Drain upside down.

To prepare artichokes for storing, steam or boil them as described above, then bottle them in olive oil. These are great as part of an Italian anti pasti, for putting on pizza or serving with salads.

Artichokes can also be barbecued or grilled: cut in half lengthways, remove the choke, brush with olive oil and grill for 30 minutes, until tender.

For fruit, most summer berries are available and it’s definitely time to get out your jam making equipment, if you haven’t already. August is the start of the blackberry season. With the help of this wonderful dark berry you’ll be able to make summer puddings of distinction or make the most marvellous jams. Good English cherries are also in abundance now, as well as blackcurrants and blueberries. Peaches, apricots and nectarines are at their best now and the same goes for melons, which are never better than they are at this time of the year.