Articles & Recipes

Humans have been cultivating and eating cabbage for thousands of years (cabbage was already in use as both food and medicine by the early Roman period), and in all likelihood we were eating its wild-growing ancestors long before that! It’s hardly surprising; this brilliant brassica is a good source of vitamin K, fibre, potassium and folic acid, and contains useful amounts of calcium, iron, vitamin A and vitamin C, too. These days, a huge variety of cabbage types are available and – because different varieties mature at different times – it’s possible to enjoy fresh cabbage nearly all year round. Drum-headed or loose-leaved, savoy, red or white (confusingly, green cabbage is often referred to as ‘white’), cabbage is a valuable and versatile vegetable. Raw, cooked, pickled and fermented, we’ve always found it to be a great friend in the kitchen.

A fresh cabbage is a thing of joy! Make the most of it by whipping up a crisp, crunchy slaw; shred your chosen cabbage finely, then add whatever shredded fresh veg you like, according to your taste and/or the season (apples, celery, fennel, carrots, radishes, raw beetroots, spring onions, nuts and seeds are all winners as far as we’re concerned). You can finish your slaw with a traditional mayo-based dressing if you like – or why not try whisking together soy sauce, toasted sesame oil, lemon juice and a little runny honey for a lighter, brighter finishing touch?

Sticky-sweet umami aubergine tastes great when cooked on the BBQ or under the grill! Serves 2 as a main dish or 4 as a side.

It’s asparagus season - and we believe British is best! As the image above shows, the home-grown spears (top) are much larger than their imported counterparts, with a greater spear-to-stem ratio, too. The British asparagus season lasts for just a few short weeks, so enjoy them while stocks last! Check out our top 3 tasty asparagus recipes below...

Shepherd’s pie, fish pie, bangers & mash… there’s a reason why these dishes are so comforting; mashed potato! Simple, satisfying and tasty, it’s the star of so many of our favourite meals – follow our easy steps to help ensure magnificent mash, every time.

Traditional-style stuffing doesn’t always have to take centre stage; did you know that there are a quite a few alternatives you can use to add a tasty twist to your turkey? Here are some serving suggestions to try if you fancy something a little different this year:

This great-tasting side dish is pretty flexible and can be tweaked according to the veg you have available – we’ve used parsnips and carrots here, but you could also use sweet potatoes, beetroots or even slices of butternut squash (cooking times may vary slightly). Serves 4 as a side dish.

Give your sprouts the star-treatment they deserve with this easy, tasty recipe. To make it vegetarian, use a rennet-free Italian-style hard cheese. Serves 4- 6 as a side dish.

The humble potato actually does a lot of the heavy lifting when it comes to Christmas dinner – however your guests might feel about sprouts, peas, carrots or other veg, we’re pretty sure they’ll all be happy to see roast potatoes on the table!

Another recipe where cauliflower gets to prove just how versatile, easy to cook with and downright delicious it can be! This tasty ‘rice’ is great served alongside favourite curries, or enjoyed as it is with warm chapatis or pitta bread and a dollop of thick yoghurt alongside. Serves 2 as a main dish, 4 as a side.

This tasty veggie riff on the popular ‘Bang Bang Chicken’ is super-charged with flavour – it’s super-simple to make, too. If you’d like to make this recipe vegan, just use any plant-based milk and substitute maple or date syrup for the honey. Serves 2 as a main meal, or 4 as a side.

Joyfully ‘hands-on’ and properly satisfying, this is great lunch or light supper, and can be tweaked to suit individual preferences; to make it vegan, omit the cheese (or use a vegan cheese) and use sugar instead of the honey in the pickle. Serves 2.