Written by Tom Moggach
December 01, 2014

The weather is getting chilly and the bobble hats are out in force. Recognise any of these stylish gentlemen on the Market?

Fruit And Vegetable Market Report December 2014 Bobble3

Fruit And Vegetable Market Report December 2014 Bobble4

More hats to come later, but in the meantime over to the December produce ….

All your Christmas staples are available, including clementines and satsumas, Brussels and their tops, lychees, cranberries, chestnuts, mistletoe and even whopping big Christmas trees.

Fruit And Vegetable Market Report December 2014 Clementines

Fruit And Vegetable Market Report December 2014 Brussel Tops

Fruit And Vegetable Market Report December 2014 Lychee

Chantenay carrots and Piccolo parsnips are another festive pick. Check out these lovely purple Chantenay from P&I:

Fruit And Vegetable Market Report December 2014 Purple Chantenay

On the fruity side, English apples and pears are still eating well. Expect Cox, Braeburn, russet, Bramley, a little Spartan, Conference and Comice:

Fruit And Vegetable Market Report December 2014 Apples

Try Brazilian mangoes and paw paws for something more exotic. They are also sending figs and melons:

Fruit And Vegetable Market Report December 2014 Figs

Turkish or Iranian pomegranates are another highlight:

Fruit And Vegetable Market Report December 2014 Pomegranate

Grapes are typically from South Africa, Namibia and Turkey:

Fruit And Vegetable Market Report December 2014 Grapes

You may also spot quinces, Dutch rhubarb, raspberries, blueberries and redcurrants, and all manner of other exotics – especially custard apples and Sharon fruit - and much more besides …

Before the veg, here’s another tasty bit of headgear. Can you name the wearer?

Fruit And Vegetable Market Report December 2014 Bobble2

Note that British broccoli is now over, but kales are going strong – including red, curly and these weird and wonderful varieties from up North:

Fruit And Vegetable Market Report December 2014 Green Kale

Fruit And Vegetable Market Report December 2014 Kale

Cabbages of all kinds (including red) are in fine fettle:

Fruit And Vegetable Market Report December 2014 Cabbage

There are some homegrown caulis to be but supplies are also from the Continent. Expect plenty of winter squashes, too.

For roots, it’s a fine time for carrots, beets (purple, golden and candied), spuds, celeriac, and Jerusalem artichokes. These knobble specimens are English, from S Thorogood & Sons:

Fruit And Vegetable Market Report December 2014 Jerusalem Artichokes

English salads are over, but there are feisty leaves from the Continent, including mustards, rocket and stunning Italian radicchio.

Artichokes – Petit Violet and Globe – are worth a look:

Fruit And Vegetable Market Report December 2014 Artichokes

Other Continental veg includes celery, globe courgettes (green and yellow), cardoons, ice plant, cime di rapa and Romanesco cauliflowers. Flat leaf parsley is excellent at this time of year. Fennel is also a good bet:

Fruit And Vegetable Market Report December 2014 Fennel

For something more unusual, how about these Oca – a weird and wonderful tuber for sale at European Salad Company:

Fruit And Vegetable Market Report December 2014 Oca

French Garden are also still selling bergamot – an amazing citrus featured in last month’s report:

These chillies below will bring a welcome splash of colour. Padron and excellent Italian peppers also available:

Fruit And Vegetable Market Report December 2014 Chillies

On the mushroom front, expect all of the wilds except for morels. In the picture below they are sorting out their Shiitake at Mushroom Man:

Fruit And Vegetable Market Report December 2014 Shiitake

Christmas trees are abundant, courtesy of the Rogers family who ply their wares at this time of year. “Trees – wholesale, retail, 24/7 – call us on 07765 845813. We aren’t afraid of big orders,” says Jo Rogers, with a grin: