march. clemengold [nadorcott], morocco / cauliflower, spain
What are they clementines? Mandarins? Tangerines? Satsumas? We all get confused by the names given to 'soft citrus' or 'easy peelers'. I'll clear it up for you: Clementines, tangerines, and satsumas are all varieties of Mandarins.
This month in particular I'm talking about a Nadorcott Clementine - the result of a chance cross pollination between one unknown variety and a Murcott Clementine which produced a sweet, juicy, seedless fruit in Morocco in the early 80s. We bring them from a third generation family orchard in the Chichaoua region of Morocco called AG Souss, they pick the fruit by hand only when it's ripened to the perfect level. This orchard is like an oasis in the desert surrounded by the atlas mountains - this level of isolation helps to avoid further cross-pollination.
The fruit from these guys is actually branded as a Clemengold (www.clemengold.com) which means it has to hit certain quality parameters to ensure a great tasting fruit (high juice levels, deep orange colour, and high sugars). The season in Morocco lasts around 6 weeks and I intend to take full advantage by using the fruit in as many different ways as possible!
The second ingredient this month is the humble cauliflower... need I say more? Bang on trend and ridiculously versatile... Roast, steam, blend, rice, pizza base, bread etc. etc. It's become the quintessential carb alternative, but actually this vegetable stands out on its own just for taste and versatility. I love it's nutty flavour and meaty texture when its pan roasted, and when puree'd it really does turn into cauliflower velvet. I could eat it every day.
Our cauliflower is from a large scale grower called Verdimed in Murcia in Spain. Murcia is one of Europe's largest agriculture capitals, it’s known as Europe’s orchard for this reason. It's warm climate (hot summers and mild winters) lend itself well to year round vegetable production.
Check out a sample menu below!
This month in particular I'm talking about a Nadorcott Clementine - the result of a chance cross pollination between one unknown variety and a Murcott Clementine which produced a sweet, juicy, seedless fruit in Morocco in the early 80s. We bring them from a third generation family orchard in the Chichaoua region of Morocco called AG Souss, they pick the fruit by hand only when it's ripened to the perfect level. This orchard is like an oasis in the desert surrounded by the atlas mountains - this level of isolation helps to avoid further cross-pollination.
The fruit from these guys is actually branded as a Clemengold (www.clemengold.com) which means it has to hit certain quality parameters to ensure a great tasting fruit (high juice levels, deep orange colour, and high sugars). The season in Morocco lasts around 6 weeks and I intend to take full advantage by using the fruit in as many different ways as possible!
The second ingredient this month is the humble cauliflower... need I say more? Bang on trend and ridiculously versatile... Roast, steam, blend, rice, pizza base, bread etc. etc. It's become the quintessential carb alternative, but actually this vegetable stands out on its own just for taste and versatility. I love it's nutty flavour and meaty texture when its pan roasted, and when puree'd it really does turn into cauliflower velvet. I could eat it every day.
Our cauliflower is from a large scale grower called Verdimed in Murcia in Spain. Murcia is one of Europe's largest agriculture capitals, it’s known as Europe’s orchard for this reason. It's warm climate (hot summers and mild winters) lend itself well to year round vegetable production.
Check out a sample menu below!