There’s something in the air. A little spark of colour, a twinkle of joy in people’s eyes, birds tweeting and a glimmer of hope that the annual deep freeze is finally behind us. Chefs across the country are beginning to think beyond winter squashes and beets to the freshness of spring and summer produce and are brewing colourful, zesty dishes in their creative minds.
Quattro Foods is no different. As producers and suppliers of food products across the UK and Europe, our development chefs are looking ahead to the best this season has to offer.
Spring means that mountains of gorgeous greens and redolent reds fill the supermarket shelves and at Quattro Foods we simply adore the energy of local produce at this time of year. We are fully prepared to exploit the season’s tremendous culinary potential and to feed our customers with the freshest and most vibrant Spring fare we can lay our hands on.
From sauces to soups, curry pastes, dressings, purees and desserts, our wide-reaching ranges will be bursting with sumptuous Spring ingredients. We have so many to choose from. Spring’s natural feast includes:
Lemons – Big, bright, robust and bursting with flavour and zest, lemons are tangiest and juiciest from winter to early summer.
Artichokes – Absolutely delicious if you boil them for 45 mins and serve with a fresh parsley, lemon juice and olive oil dressing to dip the leaves into. They are mainly harvested in the Spring when the largest thistles come into bloom. Keep an eye out for tight, compact leaves and fresh-cut stem ends.
Chard and kale – These salad favourites are grown year-round but taste best in warmer weather. Like all cooking greens, these leafy veg turn bitter when the weather gets too hot so grab them now whilst they’re perfect.
Asparagus – Freshest and best from March to June. Try blanching and serving with a vinaigrette or adding to Spring salads.
Radishes – Sweetest and crispiest in Spring, they add crunch and colour to seasonal salads.
Parsley – It’s leafy, green, light and flavoursome. Parsley flourishes in the Spring and works beautifully to enhance a host of sauces, soups and pastes.
Fava beans – A Mediterranean favourite that Quattro chefs love to add to stews to enhance flavour and bulk up texture.
Spring onions – Fun fact! Did you know that spring onions are simply normal onions that farmers pull from the field to thin the rows in Spring? And they take an every-day salad to new heights too!
New potatoes – Freshly harvested, their taste is delicate and enticing. Mix with mayo, mustard and spring onion for the perfect potato salad.
Peas – Versatile British Spring classic. Delicious in soups, salads or as accompaniment to fish or meat.
This list is exciting, colourful and bursting with flavour but it’s certainly not exhaustive. Spring brings sumptuous foodie delights and our customers in the restaurant, take-away and food service sectors, as well as the NHS, the UN, schools, colleges and the Army will enjoy the best food the season (and Quattro!) has to offer.