Raspberry Marinade

Hello, it’s Ben Bartlett, Director and Ambassador for Love British Food.

August is the month for fruit with all the berries including Blackberries, Bilberries, Blueberries, Gooseberries, Loganberries, Raspberries and Strawberries. There are also Redcurrants, Greengages, Cherries, Bramley Apples and Plums. Later, I will give you a delicious recipe for a fresh Raspberry Marinade.

It is also a good month for vegetables with Artichokes, Aubergines, Broad Beans, Broccoli, Cabbage (Red, Savoy and Spring Green), Carrots, Cauliflower, Celery, Chillies, Courgettes, Cucumber, Fennel, French Beans, Garlic, Jersey Royal Potatoes, Lettuce (Cos and Iceberg), New Potatoes, Onions, Peas, Radishes, Rocket, Runner Beans, Samphire, Spinach, Spring Onions, Sweetcorn, Tomatoes and Watercress.

Pick the following herbs Basil, Chervil, Chives, Coriander, Dill, Oregano, Mint, Parsley (curly and flat-leafed), Rosemary, Sage, Sorrel, Tarragon and Thyme. You can freeze herbs easily by packing them into an ice cube tray and covering with water. Once frozen, pop out the herb cubes and into a bag.

Buying British is so important and many supermarkets like Morrisons will label their British grown produce with a Flag or other symbol to make it easy to find.

The meats in August include Beef, Lamb, Rabbit and Venison.

Seafood for August includes Mackerel, Monkfish, Mussels, Plaice, Salmon, Sardines, Scallops and Silver mullet. Also known as Grey Mullet, this is a fantastic sustainable seafood option and carries a similar flavour to sea bass.

I will be demonstrating some delicious British dishes this month at the Living Heritage Game and Country Festivals Chefs Kitchen Marquee in Wiltshire and Cheshire.

My recipe of the month is a fantastic ’sweet n sour’ Raspberry marinade that’s a perfect partner for any meats. It features on the Love British Food Website and is in my new book British & Australian BBQ Secrets Volume 2 Roasts, Rubs & BBQ Blends that is now available on Amazon.