Charlotte's Basket - January

The ingredients I'll be cooking with this month

There aren't many ingredients to pick from the garden at the moment, and my gardening basket is sat looking rather empty, whilst the garden recovers from the freezing spell last month. A far cry from the abundant harvests this summer as photographed above.

Whilst there isn't much in the garden right now, thankfully there are lots of gorgeous, seasonal ingredients to buy and enjoy at the moment.

I am making the most of sprout season. I often steam-fry sprouts, halved through the stalk, and stir-fried with a little dash of water and knob of butter. They only take around 5 minutes to cook. Adding chopped garlic and soy sauce is a lovely variation. I cook almost all leafy greens in this way too. It’s quicker and gives great results, whilst also saving on water and energy.

It's still the time of year to make the most of citrus fruit. I love to make fresh fruit salads and keep them in the fridge. Segmented oranges or pink grapefruits are lovely combined with pomegranate seeds and sometimes some fresh mint leaves. I'll be looking out for Seville oranges too, so I can plan my annual marmalade making marathon. I’ve bought Organic Sevilles from Gospa citrus in recent years.

I try and include plenty of fresh ginger and turmeric in my diet, and add plenty to seasonal soups, curries and drinks. It's great to see fresh turmeric available to buy in many more shops of late.

Cauliflower is one of my most-used vegetables, and I often roast a tray, leaves and florets, drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with salt, to add to salads, or to serve as a side with a whole range of meals.