What's in season for August...

I was at the Viktualienmarkt this weekend and noticed all sorts of vegetables that don't usually make it into my basket, at least in their natural form as I usually hit the frozen section except for salad and run of the mill greens...

Anyhoo, anyone know whats in season around these parts? I think Im going to tackle the pfifferlings. I was also intrigued by two long green bean type things, one was short and fat - didnt recognize them- and the other one was long and skinny-I think its peas inside- but it seemed horribly expensive, i.e. 7.99 kilo...

!!! Sounds like a veg thats not in season, and has been imported from outermongolia or something. Seasonal goods are on the whole cheaper.

Pfifferling thingys though - called Chanterelle mushrooms or Girolle in Frogland. Very nice too. They are quite fragile, and when you see them in Aldi or something, they are oftena bit knackered. Taste good though, I personally like them simply sauteed and used to fill an omelette. Don't cook them too hard or quick. They go a bit tough without gentle cooking.
You can eat them raw in a salad, but give them a brush first to lean them, and marinate them for a while in a vinaigrette before using. I like to to fry them up gently in some butter for a couple of minutes, then add some chopped shallot and loads of chopped parsley, and fry for another minute or so before using as a dressing on a salad made with some of the more bitter leaves.

Badger's putting fennel into a lot of stuff lately. I don't trust it 'cause it looks like a hand!

[img]http://www.finocchifarm.co.nz/Front%20Pge%20Fennel.jpg[/img]

oh, man, you know how to make a girl hungry Don...

Sounds nice !

Remember that fish recipe in a tin foil parcel Keydeck? Well, whack a load of sliced fennel into the cavity of a fresh trout, and cook it the same way, in a parcel. Well nice.

That'd be the Posh Fish n Chips. A cracking meal. Thanks again.

I use fennel in fish recipes. Here's one:

Fish with Fennel and Oranges

Some nice firm white fish
1 fennel bulb
2 big juicy oranges (those Götterfrucht ones are great)
Noilly Prat or other vermouth
Some crème fraîche if you want to

Juice one of the oranges and cut the skin and zest from the other, cutting the orange into segments with a knife. Reserve (and add any juice that has run off to the other juice).
Remove any discolored parts of the fennel, rinse it, then cut the tops off and slice finely, I normally slice each fennel from the top to the root, into about 5 slices, but its not that important. You can slice them even finer and more delicately if you like.
Get a covered flat pan (I tend to use a deep frying pan or Tarte Tatin pan with a glass lid) and put the fennel in a layer.
Place the rinsed white fish fillets on top of the fennel.
Tip in the orange juice and add enough vermouth until only just covering the fennel and lapping around the fish.
Heat on, lid and gently simmer for about 10mins if that - the fish will steam.
Lift the lid to test for doneness and then just before you serve, add the orange segments to warm though.
Some like a bit of crème fraîche in to thicken the sauce but it tastes nice as it is (if you don't mind a thin sauce).
Goes well with rice and a very skinny dinner it is too.