Meanderings

Handmade Italian 'Ivy' Dinner Service

/ 14 November, 2024

The Greengrocer

April 10, 2015

On this day, the 10th April 1633, a shop in London displayed a bunch of bananas in its window, making it the first time the fruit had been seen in the UK.

To mark this day, we went to our local greengrocers to gander at some of the more bizarre fruit and vegetables now currently available and asked our resident in house chef, Marcelo de Campos to tell us more about the strange and beautiful crops we came home with.

[The Creative Power of Mother Nature]

[Name]
Morchella / Morel

[Origin]
Eastern Europe

[How it grows]
Above Ground, in woodland

[Flavour]
Meaty, earthy hazelnut flavour with a smoky and woody aroma

[Best used]
As a side salad to a juicy steak - grill the morels with olive oil and add a sprinkling of parsley, grate of lemon zest and season with salt & pepper.
Must be cooked, do not eat raw

[Name]
Kohlrabi

[Origin]
Germany

[How it grows]
Below Ground

[Flavour]
Mild, sweet & crisp

[Best used]
Either cooked or raw - Steam / roast / stir fry the bulb as a great alternative to potatoes
The leaves can be cooked like cabbage

[Name]
Rambutan

[Origin]
Thailand

[How it grows]
Tree

[Flavour]
Sweet, refreshing, fleshy

[Best used]
This is great in a martini with Vodka, lime juice and vanilla

[Name]
Rainbow Swiss Chard

[Origin]
Northern Hemisphere

[How it grows]
Below Ground

[Flavour]
Mild, sweet & crisp

[Best used]
Using both the leaves and the body - sauté with pancetta for the main ingredients in a frittata

[Name]
Radicchio Tarvido

[Origin]
Veneto, Italy

[How it grows]
Above Ground

[Flavour]
Bitter

[Best used]
Sautéed with balsamic and served with grilled goats cheese

[Name]
Salak ( Snake Fruit)

[Origin]
Columbia

[How it grows]
Tree

[Flavour & Feel]
Sweet, sour
Apple like texture flesh, scaly exterior

[Best used]
In a granita, with fresh lime

[Name]

Romanesco Broccoli

[Origin]
Italy

[How it grows]
Above Ground

[Flavour]
Delicate, nutty

[Best used]
Boiled and grated into a quinoa salad with a dressing of peppery olive oil and lemon

[Name]
Heritage Beetroot

[Origin]
Italy

[How it grows]
Below Ground

[Flavour]
Earthy, rich & sweet

[Best used]
In a salad, or in juices such as apple and beetroot, or pineapple and beetroot

[Name]

Pitahaya

[Origin]

Thailand

[How it grows]

Tree

[Flavour]

Sweet, refreshing, melon like

[Best used]

As part of an exotic fruit salad, with passion fruit, mangosteen, guava and pomelo

[Name]

Fresh Horseradish

[Origin]
SE Europe / Western Asia

[How it grows]
Below Ground

[Flavour]
Hot, peppery, mustard like

[Best used]
Grated in mashed potato, or with beef for a traditional roast

[Name]
Italian Round Aubergine

[Origin]
Sicily, Italy

[How it grows]
Plant

[Flavour]
Meaty, mildly smokey

[Best used]

Grilled with fresh tomatoes and basil

[Name]
Mangosteen

[Origin]
Thailand

[How it grows]
Tree

[Flavour and Feel]
Juicy, sweet, peach like
Fleshy interior, hard leather rind

[Best used]
Great for juices, with mint or lemongrass

[Name]
Jerusalem Artichoke

[Origin]
Jerusalem

[How it grows]
Below Ground

[Flavour]
Nutty, sweet, crunchy

[Best used]
Puréed and served with apple, ideal for pork

[Name]
Purple Sprouting Broccoli

[Origin]
UK

[How it grows]
Above Ground

[Flavour]
Delicate, crunchy

[Best used]
Stir fried, served with chilli and almond flakes with a splash of soy

[Name]
Yam

[Origin]
Africa / Asia

[How it grows]
Below Ground

[Flavour]
Dry, starchy

[Best used]
Great for pies - with coconut to make a sweet dessert

All vegetables listed can be found in:

[The Michanicou Bros Greengrocers]

2 Clarendon Road

Holland Park

London

W11 3AA

02077275191

02072435719

All fruit listed can be found in:

[Clifton Greens]

16 Clifton Rd

Little Venice

London

W9 1SS
020 7286 5060