The Start of Spring
It’s the start of Spring and a time for new beginnings. The table of seasonal foods is changing and at Lidgates, we are always keen to keep in step with the changing seasons – so do have a look at our guide to what foods are coming into season this month.
March 25th was considered the first day of the year in England until 1752 and although the calendar has changed, a sense of freshness and newness is still in the air at this time of year. Daffodils are beginning to come out, sprouting broccoli is in season, hedgehogs are coming out of hibernation, and wild garlic is at its best.
The month gets its name from Martius, the first month of the Roman calendar which itself comes from Mars, the Roman god of war and agriculture. You can understand why March is named after the god of agriculture, since it is such a busy time on the farm. Calving really gets underway throughout March, and it’s the busiest time of the year for many farmers.
It’s not just the cows though; the beginning of March is lambing time too. The ewes and lambs often need round-the-clock attention, so farmers can expect a number of sleepless nights for a couple of months. Weather depending, we are still about a month away from having new season lamb in store.
Fertilising and crop-spraying are other important jobs being done this month – and so especially with some of the shortages we are seeing in some vegetable shops – you can see how important this month is for farmers creating the food we all depend on.
March comes just after peak root-veg season and before the bountiful months of spring greens, March is sometimes called the ‘hungry gap’ by gardeners. But there are lots of amazing flavours at their very best in March. Jamie Oliver has done a great guide to the best recipes of the month HERE.
Foods Coming Into Season This month Are: Artichoke, Beetroot, Carrots, Chicory, Leeks, Parsnip, Purple Sprouting Broccoli, Radishes, Rhubarb, Sorrel, Spring Greens, Spring Onions, Watercress.