The Fruiterer

Fruit, more than any other product, defines the seasons for me. Their colours seem to reflect the time of their ripening. The harlot red cherries, luscious peaches washed with scarlet and golden-fleshed mango all represent the sensuality of summer. The muted apples and figs, the ripened late season grapes filled with the accumulated sugar of the past summer, the arrival of quinces, mean autumn. The citrus fruits and russet pears, winter. Spring is the time for vegetables to show their best, while fruits blossom; the arrival of the first white asparagus and artichoke is just as significant for me as the first cherry of summer. I use fruit to help me emphasise the seasonality and sensuality of my cooking.