By Jo Toscano
EARLY WINTER PRODUCE
CHESTNUTS
Deep pink: Slow roasted quinces with honey.Credit: Marcel Aucar
Many European immigrants’ memories of chestnuts are rooted in poverty. Chestnuts were considered a food of the poor as they sustained the peasants through winter. Today, chestnuts are more about indulgence than survival. They are delicious simply roasted and seasoned with salt flakes and enjoyed with a glass of pinot. The cooked flesh of chestnuts also makes a velvety soup and, when combined with pancetta, chestnuts are a moreish stuffing for roast pork. Lookfor the easier-to-peel varieties, such as di coppi marone, Purton’s Pride and Perfection.
FIELD MUSHROOMS
Winter treat: Wild mushrooms are not available all year round.Credit: Mark Chew
Our unseasonably warm autumn means the fickle field mushroom season will continue well into June. The heavily scented pine forest mushrooms and the more delicately flavoured slippery jack are the most widely available. These mushrooms are found at the foot of pine trees throughout Victoria but specific locations of fecund fungal areas are a tightly held secret because of the prices mushrooms command. Field mushrooms come into their own when sauteed with butter, fresh garlic, a splash of white wine and a twig of thyme. Note that slippery jacks are best peeled before cooking.
FRESH WALNUTS
Although fresh walnuts will be available for another six months, it is at the beginning of the season when their flavour pops. Fresh walnuts have a flavour that is vastly superior to preshelled walnuts, so it is certainly worth the effort to shell them. For a simple and elegant salad, combine mixed leaves, a scattering of fresh walnuts, a squeeze of lemon and a drizzle of walnut oil. Or try replacing pinenuts with walnuts in a pesto for a creamier, fuller-flavoured take on the classic.
ARTICHOKES
Ripe for the picking: Choose fat fennel bulbs for a sweeter taste.Credit: Jennifer Soo
Food writer Jane Grigson was on to something when she described eating artichokes as ‘‘the vegetable expression of civilised living’’. While the artichoke season begins in autumn and can stretch to late spring, it is in winter that they are at their peak. Artichokes may be simply steamed and enjoyed with a vinaigrette or hollandaise sauce, or stuffed with parmesan and breadcrumbs as a moreish appetiser. The hearts may be cooked many ways – including pickled, baked or sauteed – or served raw with a vinaigrette when sliced thinly. Make sure to select those artichokes with a thick stalk, indicating they will have a generous heart.
FENNEL
Historically popular with those from European and Middle Eastern backgrounds, in recent years fennel has gained a wider following. It has a refreshing, mild aniseed flavour and crisp texture when eaten fresh, and a caramelised aromatic sweetness and creamy consistency when heat is applied. A baked fennel gratin is sure to win over any punter not already converted. To make sure you get sweet fennel, select the fatter, rounder bulbs.