Come December all we seem able to think about are turkeys, gammon, sprouts, roast potatoes, gravy, mince pies, Christmas pudding and brandy butter.
It’s a 3-weeks long painful and unnecessary preparation to Christmas dinner.
Don’t get me wrong, I love Christmas and I can’t wait to tuck into the feast my parents would have prepared for the family, but until then there are many more things that you should consider putting on the table this month!
Here are my top 5.
Walnuts –
As a child I used to hate nuts, but nowadays I’ll use them to “accesorize” many a dish.
Mix them with a nice green salad and dress with olive oil, balsamic vinegar and Dijon mustard for a French touch.
Or why not sautee them with bacon and kale (also in season) as a side to your roast.
And for a healthy dessert, mix with baked apples and honey on yoghurt!
Squid –
This is something I normally associate with warm summer lunches on a Spanish beach, cold beer in one hand and fork poised and ready to attack the fresh produce, but it appears it is in December that they’re at their freshest!
Simply grill squid tubes with thin lemon slices and add a splash of extra virgin olive oil and a sprinkle of parsley once ready.
Quickly sautee squid rings in garlic and add to pasta with tomato sauce.
Mussels –
I like mussels and I don’t at the same time. I don’t particularly enjoy them in rice; I don’t know why, but I find there’s something wrong with that combo.
Funnily enough I heartily recommend adding them to a tomato sauce for spaghetti or linguine or serving them with a white wine sauce and a side of chips like the Belgians do.
Leeks –
Leeks are extremely good for us for many reasons: vitamins, fibre, green, one of your five-a-day and all that.
Add them to roast chicken, white wine, garlic and creme fraiche to make the perfect pie filling.
Steam or sauteed with a little olive oil for the simple approach.
OR boil for 2 minutes and then add to a pan with creme fraiche, a little Dijon mustard and butter beans and let simmer at low heat for 4-5 minutes for a great side dish to your roast.
Pears –
I feel that pears are far more work than apples for some reason BUT you can achieve some fantastic and fancy looking with little effort from them.
Poach them in balsamic vinegar and serve with walnuts and stilton or goat’s cheese as a starter.
And because we all need dessert, cube a couple and add them to your chocolate cake mix to take away the edge of guilt with some fruit and enjoy the moisture the juices generate.
Buon appetito!
