Recipes in season - July

July

In season in July are: banana and citrus fruits, brussels sprouts, carrot, cauliflower, fennel, mushrooms, potato, silverbeet


Here's a few meal recipe ideas for cooking food in season in the month of July

Brussels sprouts

Smashed sprouts mash with chestnuts

Both brussels sprouts and chestnuts are in season in July

600g brussels sprouts, halved
50 g butter
100 ml double cream
grated nutmeg
200g roughly chopped chestnuts

Put the sprouts in a large pan, cover with boiling water and cook for 8-10 mins or until very tender. Drain, and leave to steam-dry for a few mins. Tip back into a saucepan and mash to a chunky texture with a potato masher. Add the butter, cream and nutmeg, and season well. Cook for a further 2 mins. Mix in half the chestnuts, then sprinkle over the remaining chestnuts to serve.

source: http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/1799635/smashed-sprouts-mash-with-chestnuts

Balsamic sprouts

brussels sprouts
a shot of balsamic vinegar
butter
salt and pepper to taste
cous cous seasoned with garlic and herbs (optional)

Blanche brussels sprouts in a pan with water covering for 8-10 minutes. Drain. In pan, add sprouts, balsamic vinegar, a little butter, salt and pepper and mix together. Serve with cous cous seasoned with garlic and herbs or as a  side dish.

adpated from source: http://www.lifestylefood.com.au/recipes/5227/roasted-pheasant-with-balsamic-brussel-sprouts-and-parnsip-puree

Roasted Potatoes, Carrots, Parsnips and Brussels Sprouts

Potatoes, carrots, parsnips and brussels sprouts are all in season in July and are great winter fare.

1/3 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
3 medium carrots about 3/4 pound, cut into 1 1/2-inch thick circles
1½ cups Brussels sprouts about 1/2 pound, halved
4 cups red bliss Potatoes about 1 pound, cut into 1 1/2-inch thick slices
3 medium parsnips about1 pound, cut into 1 1/2-inch thick slices
1 cup Sweet potato about 1 pound, cut into 1 1/2-inch thick slices
1 tablespoon dried Oregano
1 tablespoon dried Rosemary
1 teaspoon dried Thyme
1 teaspoon dried Basil
¼ teaspoon sea salt
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 200 degrees C.
Grease a baking sheet pan with extra-virgin olive oil. Place vegetables in baking sheet and add the dried herbs, salt and pepper. Toss well, evenly coating all the vegetables with the seasonings and oil. Add more oil if the vegetables seem dry
Spread the vegetables evenly on a large baking sheet. Place on middle rack in oven and bake for 35 to 40 minutes.

source http://www.lifestylefood.com.au/recipes/print.aspx?RecipeID=2565

Silverbeet

Silverbeet and Lentil soup with rice

Silverbeet is in season in July and it a great, cheaper alternative to spinach with a nice salty edge.

This soup turns out looking like primordial slime but its quick, hearty, delicious, full of nutrients, great for winter and you can mix it in with the yellow rice to make it look more appealing.

1 bunch silverbeet
1 diced onion
olive oil
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 can brown lentils
ground cumin
ground coriander
3 tsp tumeric powder
vegetable or chicken stock (half a cube, 4 tsp powder or ½ cup of liquid)
salt and pepper to taste
sour cream, cream or natural yoghurt (optional)

Put some rice on to cook while you prepare the soup, adding the tumeric powder to the cooking water, which makes the rice turn yellow.
Drain and rinse lentils, wash and chop silverbeet (leaves and stems) while boiling the kettle. Put washed, chopped silverbeet (leaves and stems) into a  pot and cover with boiling water for 2 minutes, keeping ½ a cup of water for the stock if you’re using a powder or . Drain off the green liquid.
Add the oil to a pan, add diced onion and garlic, brown for a few minutes.
Add the stock (powder or cube + boiling water), lentils and silverbeet and cook for 10 minutes. Add the ground cumin and ground coriander and cook another 2 mintues.
Put the soup through a blender or food processor for a few seconds until smooth.
Serve with rice, salt and pepper to taste, and optional dollop of cream or yoghurt.

Fennel

I haven’t tried these yet, but there are a few side dishes and mains that involve fennel, which happens to go great with fish.

http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/24998/tomato+braised+fennel

http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/25012/fennel+and+potato+gratin

http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/20319/orange+and+fennel+fish

http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/29027/salmon+with+fennel+skordalia