Seasonal eating for December

By Virginia Campbell, first year Religion and Theology student

Winter food is wonderful. With Christmas on everyone’s mind, the world goes mad for warming flavours and classic dishes - and exciting new ones. Intense aromas of mulled wine and roasted chestnuts follow you around markets; there are limited edition bites in every eatery. This time of year truly is a feast for the senses.

As you may have noticed, it’s also freezing outside. So, if you don’t fancy going out to experience the festive feasting, fear not - you can bring the feasting to you. Seasonal eating is the best way to do this. You can make authentic winter dishes that will satisfy even the most hardcore winter fans among you.

Seasonal eating is the idea of eating foods that are in high production during a particular season. They are almost always of better quality than when not in season, they’re fresher because they rarely have to be imported, and they’re also cheaper! There are some obvious players in the winter seasonal eating game - namely Brussel sprouts, parsnips and all manner of traditional Christmas dinner vegetables.

But some lesser known contenders can also take top spot when it comes to taste. Beetroot, artichokes and kale are all in their prime, whilst apples, cranberries, pomegranates and pears also shine at this time of year.

Game such as pheasant and partridge (as well as the traditional turkey) are popular, as are walnuts, almonds and chestnuts. These are just a few examples; if you want to find more just ask in supermarkets or look online!

So, now that you’ve saved money and stocked your fridge up with healthy and tasty seasonal treats, the next step is to make some delicious dinners! Think refreshing beetroot and kale salads with walnuts; a turkey sandwich with homemade cranberry sauce, a cinnamon apple and pear strudel with warm, flaky pastry and generous helpings of custard.

If you’re in further need of inspiration, websites such as bbcgoodfood.com and delicious.com have really useful seasonal recipe collections. Be kind to your wallet and treat your taste buds - celebrate seasonal eating!

Featured image: Unsplash/raw pixel

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