Seasonal produce: what's new on the summer menu

Summer is our favourite season. Growers are bursting with good things, colours explode at the market, and aromas grab you the moment you walk in. At Le Catalan, it's also when the menu changes the most, because we follow the market rather than the other way around. This article walks through what's landing in the kitchen these weeks, how we handle it, and how you can find it on the plate.

Why we bother following the seasons

It's easier to lock down a menu. Order once, store, serve. That's what many places do, and it has its own economic logic. But it isn't how we work.

Following the seasons is first a matter of taste. A field tomato picked in July has nothing to do with a hothouse tomato in February. A ripe peach from Var has no equivalent in January. The other way round, some products like winter squash or citrus deserve to be waited for to give their best.

It's also a matter of respect. Respect for the growers, who deliver their best when they're allowed to work at their own pace. Respect for the environment, because a seasonal fruit travels less and uses less energy. And respect for the guest, who has the right to eat as close as possible to what nature is offering right now.

What's on the stall right now

Here, in no particular order, is what our baskets bring back from the market lately, and how we get the best from it:

• Heirloom tomatoes: Black Krim, beefsteak, pineapple, green zebra. We serve them with buffala di Bufalone, barely dressed with olive oil, fleur de sel, and fresh basil. When the product is beautiful, you don't need to add a thing.
• Local peppers: slipped into the wood-fired oven next to the pizzas. They come out melting, lightly smoky, served with garlic toasts and fresh basil.
• Artichokes: as buds with a yogurt tzatziki and pita bread, or pan-seared with squid and crushed potatoes.
• Radishes and crunchy vegetables: to start, a bouquet of radishes with its accompaniments, fresh, simple, no fuss.
• Grilled southern vegetables: zucchini, aubergine, peppers. We layer them on the Mediterranean pizza, or serve them as a side to fish and grilled meats.

The dish of the day follows whatever lands in the morning. It can be frustrating for regulars who loved a specific plate, but it's also what makes every visit a little different.

From the sea

Our coast is generous. Depending on the catch, we work Scottish salmon as a tartare marinated with citrus or pan-seared with sorrel, prawns roasted in the wood-fired oven with citrus butter, and squid pan-seared with artichokes. For lovers of the classics, our house fish and chips stays on the menu year-round, with its tartar sauce.

We prepare them as simply as possible: a drizzle of olive oil, a fresh herb, a few confit tomatoes. The product does the talking.

By the glass

The wine list also moves with the seasons. In summer, we put forward fresh, easy-drinking cuvées that work with a terrace under the palm trees: Provence rosés of course, but also a few Ligurian whites, well-made cinsaults, and small bubbles for aperitif.

The idea isn't an endless list. We'd rather select around twenty references that make sense with what we cook, and stay within reasonable prices. If you're unsure, ask: that's what we're here for.

How to find all of this on the plate

The best way to discover the week's arrivals is to glance at the specials board when you arrive, or simply ask the team. What doesn't change are the classics on our menu: wood-fired pizzas, generous salads, grilled meats. The rest evolves.

To better understand the spirit behind the house, the team and our attachment to good produce, take a look at our story or our dedicated piece on Le Catalan's Mediterranean cooking. And if you fancy a table, the easiest way is to contact us directly. We'll be waiting, inside or on the terrace.