Vegetables

Vegetables can be so exciting to eat. I often think about having a summer barbecue and grilling nothing but vegetables. Having leeks, asparagus, tomatoes, onions, broccoli, all with their own taste being lifted from the flavour of the grill bars would be so tasty. The vegetables featured in this section are packed with texture and flavour. The roasted tomatoes with a touch of sea salt, garlic, basil and olive oil just speak for themselves.

Vegetables just seem to grow and grow! By which I obviously mean in variety and selection. Springs, summers, autumns and winters appear at different times of the year all over the world. Consequently, virtually all vegetables and fruits are available 12 months of the year and most become available in Britain. Of course, this means we can buy and eat them when we want, but one thing is certain: you can’t beat vegetables or fruits in the height of their season. Vegetables which are transported long distances are picked unripe and then ripen in transit, so you never quite get that just-picked flavour. So I say where possible buy and cook what’s in season.