Freshly picked onto your plate

Freshly picked onto your plate

Tip

Tomatoes abound all year round. But don’t contend yourself with the sad specimens in autumn, the sour, bland ones in winter, or the disappointing spring versions… and fall to the temptation of the summer tomato, the real thing, which tantalises the taste buds and quenches the thirst!

This goes for all our summer vegetables of which the seasonality has been forgotten with the omnipresence of out-of-season products or those from the other side of the globe. Cucumber, courgette, aubergines...: consumers can buy them throughout the year. But to get that real taste of vegetables produced by a market gardener, there’s only one solution: eat them in summer. “Sun, warmth, enough light: these are the three winning ingredients for tasty summer vegetables that are brimful of vitamins”, says Jacques Rouchaussé, a vegetable producer in the Marne region. In practice, this means that from June, even May for earlier varieties, we can start enjoying all those tomatoes, cucumbers, courgettes, salads, radishes and carrots.

But if you’re looking for tasty vegetables, it is not just the season that counts; it’s also picking them ripe. For those lucky enough to have a vegetable patch, this means that in summer when vegetables are in full growth, you have to keep a daily eye on your produce. Summertime is not synonymous with idleness for everyone! Whether you get your supplies from the supermarket or farm market, one tip goes for all vegetables: choose for colour. “Cucumbers must be green but also firm”, adds Jacques Rouchaussé. “As for tomatoes, they should be bright red, but the firmness depends on the variety... You’ll have to taste several to know which you prefer!” One thing the farmer insists on is that this product should not be kept in the fridge: “It kills the flavour of the tomato!” Other vegetables can be stored in the crisper at the bottom of the refrigerator. “These are fresh products. Once they are picked and therefore separated from the plant, they start drying out”, the farmer explains. What is the ideal then? Shopping regularly, so you can enjoy them fresh. Traps to avoid? Buying a large quantity in one go and not being able to eat it all in one week. Watch out for excessive bargains that prompt you to buy much more than is reasonable!

What if, alas, I discover some wilted vegetables that I’ve forgotten in a corner of the kitchen? No need to chuck them just yet. There are lots of recipes that do not necessarily require vegetables at the peak of freshness. Are your tomatoes too withered to make a good salad? You could use them for juice, a sauce or gazpacho. Got vegetables that are past their prime? Then why not try a cold vegetable soup – something simple and original. “For carrots that are going a bit flaccid, I’ve got a spicy sweet flan recipe that’s a great hit!” Jacques Rouchaussé confides. So remember that each vegetable can be prepared in many different ways, often quite simple. With all the vegetables and recipes going around, variety is going to be the word this summer!

And for those who still want to enjoy out-of-season foodstuffs, there’s always the option of converted vegetables!