Veg to Table: A Year of Cooking and Eating Seasonally
The premise of seasonal eating is hardly anything new, but in a period where our sense of time has been thrown completely off-kilter, I’m wondering if it can help me regain some structure to my weeks and months — a way to push forward through the year when our usual milestones have grown meaningless.
Like many people, I’ve found myself wishing entire seasons away, looking forward to spring in the naïve hope that lockdown will lift, only to be told it could now be summer, if we’re lucky. Glastonbury’s been cancelled and the Olympics will no doubt follow, meaning several summertime markers already feel like they’ve come and gone, and suddenly it’ll be autumn — and we won’t even know how we got there.
I’m also all out of inspiration, and desperately in need of some. At first, the freedom felt kind of exciting, as we relished the opportunity to have things blipping away on the stove while we worked from home, or defrosting on the counter as we finished up for the day. But the twee, domestic goddess ritual soon lost its magic, and we became fatigued by the relentless task of feeding ourselves all day, every day. After all, we’re not used to this! We’re used to the occasional plate of scampi and chips at the pub, the meal deals at our desk, a freshly-baked croissant to chew on while we plod to work, but the tiny world that we all now inhabit forces us to get into the kitchen whether we’re in the mood to cook or not.
Perhaps, then, turning to the changing seasons will at least help mix things up a little, while gently coaxing us through the year with a little sense of direction. Of course, these days there are well-stocked supermarkets that help us break from a strict roster of fruit and vegetables, allowing us to easily get our hands on whatever our own soil doesn’t allow (although who knows what the future of Brexit holds…), but for me this is more about having an excuse to root myself to a time and place. Fuck it, it’s just something to do.
Don’t get me wrong, I’ll still be eating tomatoes in January, because this shit is BLEAK and no one should deny themselves of anything right now, especially not a tomato. But I’ll also be paying a bit more attention to the what to eat when, and trying to take enjoyment from that — and from researching ingredients, discovering new recipes, sharing stuff with others and hopefully just looking outwards a bit more.
My sister, Ellen Blanc, is on board to illustrate the series, so even if you’re just here for the pictures, you won’t be disappointed.
First up: Celeriac!