What to harvest, eat and plant this month. Plus, a recipe by Steph Peirce from Local & Friday
November — Harvest
Thin – Pluck out young carrots often, leaving room for the main crop to grow. Also do this with young beetroot, leeks and spring onions.
Pick excess end-of-season citrus off trees – cook, bake, make cordial or drink gin with them.
Pick spinach, lettuces and salad leaves continuously so they don’t go bitter.
Don’t let celery go woody – pick a few stalks at a time if you can’t eat a whole
one.
Broad beans, celeriac, Florence fennel and globe artichoke will be ready around now.
Check your strawberries! You may have some ready.
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November — In season, in store
Here’s a some of what you should be able to find at your local produce store or supermarket for a reasonable price this month:
- Asparagus
- Avocados
- Beans & peas
- Beetroot
- Brassicas
- Cavolo nero
- Kale
- Salad Greens
- Silverbeet
- Spring onions
- Spinach
- Early aubergines, broad beans, capsicums, strawberries & blueberries
November — Edible planting
Seedlings (homegrown or store-bought), tubers or fruit you can plant out this month:
Roots
Beetroot, Celeriac
Brassicas
Cabbage, Cauli, Pak choi
Salad greens
Lettuces, Mizuna, Rocket, Spinach, Silverbeet
Tubers
Jerusalem artichokes, Potatoes, Kūmara
Other
Leeks, Onions, Beans, Courgettes, Tomatoes, Chillies, Eggplant, Capsicum, Cucumber, Pumpkin, Sweetcorn, Florence fennel
Herbs
Basil, Coriander, Chives, Chervil, Parsley, Rosemary, Thyme
Fruit
Citrus, Passionfruit, Tamarillo, Rhubarb, Melons, Berries
Recipe | Rhubarb & maple custard tarts
Makes 12 individual tarts
For a stress-free festive treat, you can make the custard a day in advance and roast the rhubarb up to three days ahead. This allows for quick and easy assembly and baking when you’re ready to serve.
Ingredients
Custard
1 ½ cups full-fat milk
1 vanilla pod, seeds scraped out or 1 ½ tsp vanilla bean paste
1 egg
1 egg yolk
3 tbsp cornflour
4 tbsp golden caster sugar
Pinch sea salt
2 tbsp butter
3 tbsp pure maple syrup
Tarts
5 stalks of red rhubarb
6 tbsp golden caster sugar (divided)
Pinch sea salt
12 small or six large strawberries
500g flaky puff pastry sheets (the Paneton brand is excellent)
1 egg
1 tbsp cold water
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Method
Custard
Heat the milk, vanilla pod, and seeds (or paste) in a small saucepan over medium heat until steaming but not boiling.
Whisk the egg, egg yolk, cornflour, four tablespoons of sugar, and salt until smooth.
Gradually whisk the egg mixture into the hot milk. Return the saucepan to the heat and cook, whisking constantly, until thickening (2-4 minutes).
Remove from heat, stir in the butter and maple syrup, then pour into a heatproof bowl. Cover with baking paper and refrigerate for at least 1 hour until cool.
Tarts
Preheat the oven to 200°C.
Cut the rhubarb into 5 cm pieces. Toss with three tablespoons of sugar and a pinch of sea salt in a small roasting dish. Roast for 5 minutes until tender but still holding shape. Cool.
Slice the strawberries lengthwise into thin slices.
Defrost the puff pastry. Use a 10 cm cutter to cut 12 rounds and place them on lined trays.
Lightly press a 6.5 cm cutter into the centre of each round to create a rim. Prick the centre with a fork.
Spread one tablespoon of chilled custard in the centre of each round.
Top with three rhubarb pieces and 2-3 strawberry slices, staying within the rim.
Whisk the egg with one tablespoon of cold water. Brush the pastry rims with egg wash and sprinkle with the remaining three tablespoons of sugar.
Bake one tray at a time for 20-22 minutes in the centre of the oven until puffed and golden.
Let cool slightly. Serve warm or at room temperature. These are best eaten fresh on the day. However, if they can’t all be eaten, they can be kept in the fridge for up to 2 days. To bring back the crispiness, refresh them in the oven each day.
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