Seasonal food calendar

December 

With sparkling winter nights and chilly days, it's the time of year to coorie up and enjoy the simple pleasures in life. The beginning of winter brings with it tasty root vegetables, rich game birds and a wealth of succulent seafood. Enjoy chunky soups and fish dishes and stock up on turkey, Brussels sprouts and other essentials for a sumptuous Christmas dinner. 

• More root vegetables – the end of the year brings with it a rich variety of vegetables, from kale and cabbage to celeriac and shallots, or complete your Christmas dinner with locally-grown parsnips and Brussels sprouts. 
• Chestnuts – Scottish chestnuts are available for a short time in December. Eat them roasted for a warming winter snack, or chop them up with onions, celery, breadcrumbs and herbs to make a delicious chestnut stuffing. 
• Apples and pears – cook these tasty ingrefients together in a mouth-watering pie, the ideal way to ward off the winter chills, or enjoy a festive dessert of poached pears in spiced red wine. 
• Fish – salmon is a popular choice of entrée for Christmas dinner in Scotland, but why not opt for something different this year? You'll find a variety of shellfish on offer in December, from razor clams and oysters to lobsters and langoustines. Mussels are particularly good and make for a delicious starter or main course. Monkfish and haddock are still excellent in December and lemon sole, coley and plaice are also available from local fishmongers.  
• Festive game and poultry – Scotland's larder gives you everything you need for your traditional Christmas meal, not least the essential turkey! Pick yours up at one of the many organic, free-range turkey farms across Scotland, or substitute for locally-sourced chicken or ham. Roast pheasant, goose and duck are each an excellent choice for a less traditional Christmas dinner. Grouse is available until 10 December, and other game birds including common snipe and woodcock are in season throughout the month. 

February  

February is a time for treating yourself! Sample wonderful seafood from Scotland's glittering coastline on Valentine's Day, or enjoy pancakes served with seasonal fruits on Shrove Tuesday. 

• All the greens – kale, spinach and chard are also available at this time of year as well as Jerusalem artichoke, celeriac, broccoli, horseradish and many more fresh and delicious vegetables. 
• Wild salmon – Valentine's Day is the perfect excuse to treat yourself and a loved one to a sumptuous Scottish meal, and what better choice than freshly-caught seafood from Scotland? Wild Scottish salmon becomes available in February and lemon sole, haddock and mackerel are also in season. You could also try Abroath smokies, an east coast delicacy available all year round. 
• Venison – tuck into succulent venison before the red and sika hind stalking season ends in the middle of the month, or bring out the subtle flavour of guinea fowl by cooking in red wine and shallots. 

March 

As winter melts into spring, keep your eyes peeled for sea kale, a little-known gem of Scotland’s rich natural larder and a favourite ingredient of Scottish chefs. Get outside and feel a crisp sea breeze and start foraging for some hidden spring gems. 

• Sea kale - if you're lucky enough to get your hands on this unusual vegetable, try it served with fresh scallops from Scotland’s shores. Discover more about foraging by the sea
• Parsley and chives – an ideal accompaniment to fresh salmon, available locally from March.   
• Brown trout season – Brown trout season officially begins in March, so keep an eye out for this flavoursome fish at your local fishmongers.  
• Langoustines, oysters, haddock, hake, lobster, razor clams, mussels – for those who'd rather leave the hard work to the professionals, you'll find a wide range of fish and seafood available in fishmongers and restaurants this month. 
• Last chance to try... roe deer venison. Savour the delicate flavours of roe deer doe venison before the stalking season closes at the end of March. Try it stewed in red wine with locally-sourced onions and potatoes, or enjoy a pan-roasted fillet served with carrots and parsnips. 
• Last chance to try... squash and parsnips. Nearing the end of their season, make the most of those hearty, home-cooked soups before the warmer weather arrives. 

May 

As we edge towards summer, there are a wide variety of fresh fruit and vegetables on offer. Make sure you treat yourself to a dram of the “water of life” for Scotland's National Whisky Month.  

• Asparagus – May's highlight ingredient, with its short season usually lasting until the middle of June. Enjoy it grilled or roasted, cooked in a soup or served with roast chicken and tomatoes, both available locally this month. 
• Strawberries – the first strawberries also appear in May. Add a twist to cranachan, a Scottish dessert with honey, cream and oats, and make it with strawberries rather than the traditional raspberries.  
• Megrim – a white flatfish similar in taste to lemon sole, is widely available in the summer months and makes a great alternative to less sustainable cod. Enjoy it pan-fried with creamed spinach, or baked with potatoes, tomatoes and basil. 
• Turbot – highly prized for its delicate flavours, this flatfish becomes available in May and is delicious braised with fresh scallops and locally-sourced vegetables. 
• Whisky – okay, technically this one is available all year round, but May is also Scotland’s National Whisky Month! Why not add a splash of Scotland's national drink to your meat? Tuck into pork chops or a fillet of beef with a rich whisky sauce, or have a post-dinner dram in a traditional Scottish pub.  
• Goat’s cheese – spring means kidding season at Scotland's dairies, so goat's cheese is excellent at this time of year. 
• Lamb – local butchers will start to sell tender Scotch spring lamb at the end of the month. As well as the classic roast, it's great served with potatoes, onions and carrots in stovies or with root vegetables in a Scotch broth. Find out more about what makes Scotch lamb unique or try some delicious contemporary lamb recipes on Make it Scotch

June 

The start of summer brings with it a rich variety of fruits and berries, while seafood, beef and lamb are also available in June. Look out for food festivals where you can sample the very best of Scotland's natural larder and get to know some of the producers and locals. 

• Berries and currants – June is berry season in Scotland, with gooseberries, raspberries, strawberries and tayberries (a hybrid of the blackberry and raspberry) all in abundance. Cherries, blackcurrants and redcurrants also come into season. Pick your own at fruit farms around Scotland, then take them home to enjoy in jams, desserts, or simply as a sweet snack. 
• Fresh greens – tuck into broad beans, peas, runner beans and mangetout, as well as asparagus and healthy leaves such as kale and Swiss chard. Add a touch of colour to summer salads with fresh beetroot, carrots and summer squash, or spice up your meals with locally-grown chillis. Although chillis are grown all around Scotland, if you're passing by make sure you pop to Langholm in Dumfries & Galloway, Scotland's Chilli Capital!
• Lobster – splash out on lobster from Scotland's coasts. The highly-sought shellfish is at its peak in June and July, so enjoy it with scallops and green vegetables, in a summer salad or served with hand-cut chips. 

The Royal Highland Show takes place just outside Edinburgh each June. As well as a chance to learn about the country's agriculture, the show's popular food and drink hall is a great place to sample the best Scottish produce. Dig into a mouth-watering beef or venison burgers, stock up on bacon and pork sausages or taste Scottish gin, cheese and chocolate.  

August 

August is another bountiful month and perfect for getting out into nature to see what you can forage. Look out for fresh grouse when the game season opens, or wander Scotland's woodlands for a chance to find blaeberries, wild cherries and mushrooms. 

• Apples – the first autumn apples start appearing in August. 
• Cloudberries – this berry is one for the adventurous foragers! They're only available in a few mountainous areas, available from late August into September.
• Squid – is particularly good at this time of year. Try it barbecued for a quick and tasty summer snack. 
• Lemon sole – also at its best in August and one of the more sustainable flatfish, it makes a great substitute for plaice. Bring out its delicate flavour by tray-baking fillets with tomatoes and other vegetables, or pair it with fresh Scottish scallops, also available this month. 
• Lamb – Scotch lamb is excellent in autumn, and you'll find the first cuts on sale in late August. Lamb chops and roasted summer squash make for a tasty dinner on a warm summer evening, while kebabs with mushrooms and tomatoes are great for barbecues. 
• Grouse – grouse season begins in mid-August, so look out for fresh game towards the end of the month. This rich meat is delicious when roasted and perfectly paired with wild mushrooms, red cabbage, celeriac or kale, all available locally. 
• Last chance to try... summer squash – enjoy the last of the summer squash, perhaps in a soup, a salad or served with meat. 

September

Autumn may be on its way, but September's natural larder is still overflowing with flavours. Tuck into sweet pears and damson plums and enjoy duck and goose when the season opens this month.  

• Apples, pears and damsons – apples and pears are very good this month, and damsons also come into season for a short time. These plums are excellent in jellies, chutneys and sauces. Try venison or duck with damson sauce, or vanilla ice cream with a damson coulis. 
• Brambles – otherwise known as blackberries. Destress and reconnect with nature in September with a bramble picking trip in the glorious autumn sunshine.
• Kale – kale reappears in September, best after the first frost. Baby leeks, celeriac, chicory and Jerusalem artichokes are also all back on the menu this month
• Last chance to try... summer fruits and berries – tuck into summer fruits before they disappear in the colder months. Blueberries, raspberries and strawberries are all available in September. Make sure you also look out for the last jostaberries, a cross between a gooseberry and a blackcurrant, that are ideal for making jam. 

November 

November brings with it rich autumn flavours, from parsnips and chestnuts to goose and pheasant. Cook up a roast dinner with plenty of root vegetables, or try slowing down and cosying up with a fish stew or winter soup. 

• Various veggies – enjoy the autumn flavours of delicious root vegetables in pies, stews or as part of a roast dinner. Pumpkin is still on offer, and winter squash and parsnip both make for great soups. Add crispy kale, baked with just a little salt, as a tasty topping. 
• Shellfish – chilly winter waters produce a rich variety of excellent seafood in November. Shellfish are especially good this month; cook up fresh razor clams and langoustines with salad and potato cakes, or mussels in a creamy white wine sauce, served with hand-cut fries. 
• Meat and game – with the shooting season well underway, November is the ideal month to enjoy the rich flavour of game birds. Treat yourself to roast pheasant with chestnut stuffing, parsnips and potatoes, or try the less traditional option of pheasant breast with fried eggs and chips. Goose, duck and grouse are also available this month, as are hare and quality Scottish venison. Scotch lamb is also great this time of year and perfect for a St Andew's Day feast – try a new twist with one of the Make it Scotch recipes