August in Gozo

Malta

Peaches (Ħawħ) Summer wouldn’t be summer without the juicy, delectable fruit known as the peach, come the sunshine come the peaches, having had a lifelong love affair with this beautiful soft fruit, for me, it encompasses summer, its colour, flavour, the texture all of these elements transport me back to this little island rock of ours.

Cherry trees flourish in the Mediterranean climate and temperate zones, although available all year round (with some gaps), cherry season peaks during late spring and summer. When perfectly ripe, cherries look very plump and well-rounded with a hint of a heart shape and dimple at the end of the stem. While the skin is a little thin and taut, the colouring goes from deep burgundy to nuances of black with a glossy sheen, and the flesh is of a rich range of ruby and rouge tones. The cherry’s flavour is intensely sweet and tangy, the bright and pleasant tartness mimics the flavour profile of plums, blackberries, and raspberries. Cherries are particularly versatile, their rich flavour allows them to be incorporated in both sweet and savoury dishes, raw or cooked applications, cherries can be consumed fresh, dried, frozen, preserved or even pickled. Cherries’ tartness directly cuts into the creamy and salty features of cheeses, especially mascarpone, feta, burrata, and brie. Cherries can also be made into jams, marmalades, or baked into delectable pies and puffy pastries, they’re also a great dessert topping. For anyone that loves to experiment and marry sweet and savoury flavours, try a crisp duck confit with a Pinot noir, cherry sauce it is delightful, however, I think my favourite cherry flavour combination has to be anything with chocolate and cherry, just divine!

Raspberries are typically available mid-summer, especially during August. Red raspberries are extremely delicate, they are sweet and slightly tart, mainly because they contain very low sugar content when compared with other fruits. The delicate texture of raspberries makes them highly perishable, which is why they should be eaten within a few days of being picked. Raspberries are usually incorporated in sweet and sugary recipes, like making jams and jellies for instance or in desserts, they are most often used to garnish chocolate pastries or turned into a coulis for the top layer of raspberry cheesecake and other baked goods. Their lemony and earthy flavour also works well in salads that feature blue cheese or any creamy aged cheese in addition to some spicy greens as well as other savoury recipes like honey raspberry pan-fried pork chops or a raspberry apple gruyere pizza with a balsamic glaze. Combine the berries with ginger, sesame and a touch of soy for a glaze over salmon, duck or chicken, or use a touch of raspberry syrup in barbecue sauces, marinades, and homemade ketchup to transform your condiments and expand your palate to feature more exotic flavours.

Turnips are a ubiquitous cellar vegetable used in many classic Maltese dishes, they have a peak season that stretched from mid-summer to fall. Turnips have a similar flavour and texture to radishes, they are very firm, crunchy and succulent. Turnips are members of the mustard family, they are closely related to cauliflower and cabbage, which is why the taste and flavour of their white flesh are earthy, sweet and relatively peppery. Younger turnips can be eaten raw and fresh, and more mature turnips can be used for cooking, their flesh softens up and all the rich and sweet flavours ooze out into the other ingredients, they can truly transform any dish, seeing as they pair well with practically all vegetables, especially root vegetables such as carrots, beets, and parsnips. Turnips are perfect for braising, sauteeing, roasting and pureeing, they taste scrumptious in smooth and creamy soups, or accompanying rich and fatty meats like pork, beef, and sausage. You can make an easy kale, turnip and turkey sausage soup for a light and healthy lunch, or you can serve them as a simple yet elegant appetizer, such as parmesan crusted crushed turnips or sesame roasted turnips with barley.

Mackeral Summer brings with it a wealth of Mackeral, it’s nutritious and yet inexpensive, rich in Omega 3 and Vitamin D, ranking up there with fresh salmon but without the farming problems… there are many different types of Mackeral but in Malta, we have access to the Atlantic Mackeral, Kavalli, and its delicious. Personally, I love them simply grilled with a tarte sauce or accompaniment such as gooseberries, Lemon or Rhubarb to foil the oiliness of the fish. Fish4tomorrow recommends Mackeral as a fish to eat:

“The Atlantic mackerel matures quickly and is therefore resistant to fishing pressures. It travels in large shoals meaning fishing for it does not produce a lot of bycatch. Being a pelagic fish means that the fishing methods employed do not cause any damage to the sea bed. fish for tomorrow recommends Atlantic Mackerel for consumption.”

http://www.fish4tomorrow.com/quickfish-guide/atlantic-mackerel

Meat

According to Polyface farmer Even meat has a season and what he says makes sense.. a lot of sense…

Before the days of refrigeration people in small communities got together to ensure there was a good rotational supply of meat to last them throughout the season, whatever the season. They aren’t called ‘Spring chickens’ for no reason he says… In the summertime farmers would band together and donate a young bullock to the cause and if there were enough families/farms contributing it would last the group throughout the summer…