What's good to eat this month? - January

What’s good to eat this month? – January

It’s the start of a brand-new year, and if your New Year’s Resolution is to eat more fresh, locally grown fruit and veg, you’ve come to the right place! We may be in the depths of winter, but the good news is that there’s still plenty growing. Start the year as you mean to go on by incorporating local, no-airmiles fresh produce into your January meal plans – read on for some inspiration.

Fruit and veg to enjoy in January

Consulting the Vegetarian Society guide, we can look forward to cooking with the following fresh fruit and veg in our January meal plans:

Apples, Beetroot, Brussels Sprouts, Carrots, Celeriac, Celery, Chicory, Jerusalem Artichokes, Kale, Leeks, Mushrooms, Onions, Parsnips, Pears, Red Cabbage, Salsify, Savoy Cabbage, Spring Greens, Spring Onions, Squash, Swedes, Turnips, White Cabbage

We’ve given you lots of delicious recipe suggestions below that include some of these ingredients, and you can find plenty more January meal plan ideas in our previous monthly guides:

• What’s good to eat in February for ideas on using cabbages, carrots, leeks and mushrooms
• What’s good to eat in March for beetroot, spring greens and spring onions
• What’s good to eat in April for kale
• What’s good to eat in September for pears
• What’s good to eat in October for apples, squash and swede
• What’s good to eat in November for celeriac and onions
• What’s good to eat in December for brussels sprouts and parsnips

Celery

Celery is always a handy ingredient to have around, and an easy one to use up – and we’re not just talking about a Bloody Mary garnish! It’s great for chopping up with other vegetables and adding bulk to soups and stews, such as our veggie stew with buttered cabbage. You can also add it to curries, such as our mixed vegetable curry, and did you know that it’s even great for keeping meat moist during roasting? 

Chicory

If you’ve not used chicory in your cooking before, you’re in for a treat. Also known as endive, it’s great to eat raw for adding some crunch and flavour to salads, but you can enjoy it cooked too – roasting works particularly well. But it really comes into its own if you use its leaves as little ‘spoons’, filling them with tasty morsels of your favourite mixes – from leftover caesar salad to brie and cranberry Christmas leftovers. Perfect snack or canape material!

Savoy cabbage

We talked all things cabbage in our what’s good to eat in February post, but we wanted to give another mention to the delicious savoy cabbage this month. With Burns Night on the 25th of this month and haggis on the menu, why not serve our delicious haggis pie with a tasty side of savoy cabbage with bacon? You can also braise it, roast it, boil it or add it to stir-fries, pasta dishes, stews and soups. You name it, really!

Turnip

Finally, while turnips may not seem the most thrilling of vegetables, they’re surprisingly versatile. They’re good for eating in any recipe that calls for root vegetables, such as our leftover Sunday roast pasties. They’re also great for dicing up along with any other veg that needs using up and including in this delicious quesadilla recipe. 

Have fun seeing what you can come up with for your January meal plans, and don’t forget that you can find lots more ideas in our recipe bank! Head over to our post on what’s in season in February for your regular dose of culinary inspiration next month.