Features Buy local and seasonal, says Gordon Ramsay

Date Published:

07/09/2007

What do you serve in the restaurants and at home?

It is still very difficult to run a completely organic restaurant and seeing as it can be limiting on the menu, it is not our mission to do so.

We have complete trust in our excellent suppliers who faithfully deliver boxes of the best ingredients day in, day out. They know exactly which farm, dairy or fishery the food is supplied from and assure us that the ingredients come from sustainable sources.

Do you grow your own fruit and veg at home?

Having reared our own turkeys and grown our own vegetables for the F Word restaurant last year, I have a new appreciation for organic farming. In terms of vegetable plots, I think people would benefit most from growing tomatoes, lettuce, peas and strawberries. There is nothing like a freshly picked strawberry or a vine-ripened cherry tomato. The intensity of flavours really represents the best that summer has to offer. And because peas don’t travel well at all, the best way to savour them (apart from getting a bag of frozen petits pois from the supermarket) is to get them young and freshly picked from the garden. Of course, if you don’t have any outdoor space, little pots of herbs are always easy to keep on window sills.

What’s the best way to store fruit and veg to preserve their taste?

We all know to keep apples out on the countertop, but tomatoes don’t enjoy being refrigerated either. Leave them out in a cool, airy place and use within a few days for optimum flavour. Vegetables for the larder, such as potatoes and onions, should be kept in a wooden box or paper bags. Plastic bags will only encourage them to sweat and promote the growth of moulds. Another good tip is to leave under-ripe fruit next to a bunch of bananas for a few days to encourage the ripening process. Don’t ask me why, but it works.

What’s in season now that’s particularly good?

Speaking of tomatoes, home-grown ones are at their peak now. Courgettes, aubergines, runner beans and beetroot are also coming on strong. We will be nearing the end of the berry season but the last few crops should still be full of flavour.

What seasonal veg do you most like to cook?

We go mad whenever English tomatoes are in season - the kitchens are filled with so much of the stuff that we could probably fill a bathtub with them. Slow-roasting is a great way to use them up and, because some of the natural juices are cooked off, the flavour of the tomatoes intensifies. It’s also really simple to do, requiring just a bit of patience. Heat the oven to the lowest setting and halve the tomatoes. Arrange them, cut side up, on a lightly oiled roasting tray and scatter over some chopped garlic, shallots and thyme leaves. Drizzle generously with olive oil and a sprinkling of sea salt and freshly ground pepper. Gently roast for an hour until tender. Serve at room temperature with a salad, fish dishes or as a great bruschetta topping.

Published in 4homes magazine, August 2006