The Hungry Gap

JENNY THORNHILL

In growers’ circles, this time of year is known as the ‘Hungry Gap’. It’s often too cold, too wet and too grey for most vegetables to survive, revive or grow. When trying to eat local produce, this is the time we rely on the root vegetables that were harvested and stored in autumn, whilst we wait and look forward to warmer weather and longer days that will bring leafy greens and salad crops. Kale and leeks can still be harvested from the fields, but if the ground is frozen (as it has been recently) the leeks will have to wait until the ground thaws and releases them, and if kale is harvested with a frost on it, it will go limp and lifeless. It’s amazing how these hardy vegetables recover if you allow the frost to disappear before you pick them.

The beauty of the seasons is how the vegetables available suit our appetites. When it’s cold and grey, we crave stews, soups and roasts and it’s root vegetables that are the perfect partners for these.

Of course, other vegetables are still available through importing from warmer countries, but at this time of year these imported crops tend to be at their priciest. Even in counties such as Spain and Italy they require extra heat and light to grow vegetables like peppers, aubergines and cucumbers. These crops can still be adversely affected by extremes of weather; for example, recent heavy snow in Spain has meant cucumbers have climbed in price.

But, as with each year, the ‘Hungry Gap’ comes to an end and is followed by a spring and summer of glut. It’s always a glut of different vegetables; variations in weather will always mean that where some crops struggle, others will thrive. So, there’s definitely going to be plenty of something!

For now, enjoy the roots while they are still here.